Isolation Lost
by Eylanan
Summary: There are reasons to hide from the world; pain, loss, and grief are powerful motivators. However, not everything can be kept hidden indefinitely. Sooner or later, time catches up with us. It is through friendship, love, and a bit of laughter that isolation is lost. Bofur/OC (friendship for now).
1. Content Isolation

There are reasons to hide from the world; pain, loss, and grief are powerful motivators. However, not everything can be kept hidden indefinitely. Sooner or later, time catches up with us. It is through friendship, love, and a bit of laughter that isolation is lost. Bofur/OC (friendship for now).

This story follows the company of Thorin Oakenshield as they enter the wilds beyond the gentle, rolling hills of the Shire and meet a companion as stubborn and suspicious of strangers as they are. She's too stubborn to assume that her meeting with Gandalf and eventually the dwarves would lead to another path to traverse in Middle Earth. However, regardless of fate or destiny, she'll find that hiding is not a solution, but a placeholder for some greater adventure (or misadventure, depending on your mindset).

I've been working on this for several months and have most of it written, but I'll keep to a weekly posting schedule (time permitting).

Enjoy!

As the rolling pin made contact with the ball of dough, Eywn let loose a breath. It was a habit she picked up from all her years under her mom's tutelage. The same thing occurred when she watched a wave of water rush towards the river's edge. That moment before the break and crash; no breath could be drawn during that moment of tension. Only once the water ebbed and flown away, waiting for the next wave to arrive, a breath was permissible. The same was true for when she dove into a new creation. Her mother always said it was the crucial moment in the entire experience. Once out of the fire, the process would be complete, but it was that moment as the process began that was crucial, regardless of the prep work to make the dough, kindle the flames, or set out the remainder materials. As the dough rolled out, she smiled. It would be a fantastic blueberry pie. The summer sun had been kind to her garden and the blueberries were plump and ripe.

She had a week before the caravan would come by her home in the wilderness and take her stored goods to market. Eywn rarely left her home. There was no need. A bargain had been struck years ago that left any need to leave unnecessary. She didn't want to leave. Her history had made her wary of even the smallest of villages. As per her arrangement with the caravan, Ewyn would be replenished with supplies and would in turn make some of the best foodstuffs and crafts this side of the Misty Mountains. This had been going on for about four years and so far she's resided in her cottage, safe and contentf.

There were only several instances of danger, when a roaming bear found his way onto her verandah and into the living room, when a thief disguised as a beggar entered her home, and one particularly nasty storm nearly took her house and the surrounding trees. She hid in the underground cellar for almost two days until she was certain that the bear had left, she took the thief out with the combined effort of her rolling pin and skillet, and she withstood the storm, clearing the broken mess from her garden after it had passed. Eywn did not fear death. That fear had been driven from her; she was only afraid of being confined in the constraints that had taken her family away from her. Her trust in others was few and far between; while the only thing that diminished her adversity to human interaction was the fact that her avoidance of such things was only possible by the trust she had in the members of the caravan, she felt such interaction was the only one permissible due to the longstanding friendship that had been affirmed between her family and the caravan long before she went into hiding.

A loud crash caused Eywn to jump. Turning, she saw a bowl of apples, which had been perched precariously on a chair in her rush to start the pie, now scattered across the floor. A tail was wagging incessantly, as if pleased by the accomplishment of adding to chaos.

"Avel, you are impossible," Eywn muttered, leaving the apples to roll. She also found a companion in her golden retriever, Avel, or Avalanche, as he was called in moments of trouble. The dog was a walking avalanche. He caused things to fall over that didn't seem likely to fall under normal circumstances, but she loved the dog. His loyalty was comforting to her and the two spent hours in the sun, playing, hunting, and any other activity they saw fit. Now, the dog moved to his small cushion near a window that let the sun shine brightly through.

Eywn molded the now flattened pie crust into a round pan, raising the edges along the sides of the pan. She smoothed out any bumps and pinched regions where the crust was weakened by her ministrations. Once the dough was smoothed over the entire circumference of the pie pan, she checked the fire and knew it to be the right temperature. Her oven was prepared to start baking. Guiding the pan into the oven, she closed the door and set the water timer to twenty minutes. She didn't want the crust to be too doughy, nor too crunchy. She would give it longer than that in the long run, but twenty minutes was her go-to time for crusts.

Even though her crust would have to cool completely before the interior could be added and returned to the oven, she wanted to give the berries a decent amount of time to mingle; flavor was key and the longer the berries had time to work their magic, the better and longer the flavor would hold out. Once the berries, sugar, and a series of special ingredients were added, she let it rest on the counter. Although she had it memorized, the self-made checklist constantly drew her attention. She wanted to be ready when Ros and his caravan arrived. The pies would hold their own in the cold part of the cellar, a design that made their arrangement work best. All the wives of the far off towns would need to do is rest the pie over the fire to thaw and rewarm the pie, revitalizing the sweetness of taste. No one knew it was Eywn who made the pies, but the caravan was well known for their provider of these incredible delicacies. It filled Eywn with a sense of pride to see the storage bins in the caravan left for her creations empty upon arrival. Either the caravan group had eaten all of them, or they were making their way into the homes of families and in the halls of local magistrates. It didn't bother her that she was rewarding establishments not unlike the one that had torn her entire world apart.

The caravan didn't go there anymore; the money wasn't worth the anger Ros and his companions held for the heartlessness of those people. Since those days, Eywn heard of how her hometown had fallen apart with the absence of the caravan. They were isolated enough to rely on the caravan for supplies and goods from the main towns and cities and were being punished for their rash choices. The coldness in Eywn's heart left little pity, but there was still a flicker of sadness. She grew up loving the people around her, she played with the children, laughed with the adults when she was old enough, became an apprentice with the combined mothers and grandmothers who taught her everything about baking. To hear of their failing community was only met with pity to know that they brought their suffering upon themselves. Eywn never asked Ros to forsake them. She didn't care what he did away from her home, but they chose to ignore the needs of a town that caused a friend of theirs so much pain. Sooner or later another group of traders would go by that dwindling place. They would survive…unlike her family and exactly like she.

As the water timer dwindled, she opened the door to the oven and took in the scent of cooking crust. It was going well so far. She knew it would take another ten minutes for the crust to solidify. Avel began to whine; he had grown accustomed to the scent of cooking pie crust, but it still made his mouth water. She chuckled and patted his golden head. Settling herself down in a chair at the kitchen table, she took in the sound of the family of birds nestled in a crook on the outside window ledge. The baby birds were chirping for their mother to return. Hungry mouths peered over the edges of the nests. Eywn felt a soft smile tug at her lips. They were always hungry. Avel rested his head on her lap and sat, tail wagging eagerly. It was in these moments of stillness that Eywn became conscious of how alone she truly was. Books could only hold her attention so long before she remembered no one was there to talk about them with. She had no skill in singing, though it didn't stop her from trying, and she would dance to music that played in her head-Silly diddies that the caravan members would play on their carved instruments. Ros would dance with her occasionally before returning to his wife. Several of the younger male members of the caravan would ask her to dance, but none of them were her type. She enjoyed dancing with the small children. They were learning the complicated steps of popular campfire dances and she willingly obliged to teach them. The memory of their squeals and giggles made Eywn laugh, not to mention the sight of their attempts to be coordinated in dancing.

She began stroking Avel's head lovingly. In these moments of silence, she allowed her mind to travel to happier times. Memories around the campfire with the caravan were plenty and all happy to remember; however, her mind preferred to return to the days when she was a small child, dancing with her father, stirring the dough with her mother, playing games out in the yard with her sisters and brother. Her favorite memory was the day her father taught her to use a sword. He hadn't expected her to be able to handle the weight, but years of lifting the heavy water-laden bin made her muscles accustomed to such weight. He taught her blocking techniques, much to the displeasure of her mother. Once she could block almost anything, he taught her to transition from defensive techniques to the offensive. How to position the sword, transfer it from hands and grip-types, how to engage an enemy with more than her sword, her father taught everything she ever needed to know about keeping safe from unfriendly beings. If she were disarmed, she knew how to use her body to defend against an attacker. Leg sweeps and punches to the specific weak spots on a larger opponent became second nature in addition to her sword ability. Her older sisters mocked her affinity for such male hobbies, but she didn't care. She was by far the best baker among them, and could manage both the hobbies of a man and a woman whereas they struggled with the womanly hobbies. Fortunately for them, they were beautiful and it didn't matter.

Eywn was by no means ugly or overweight, but she wasn't the slim, tall, beauty that her older sisters were. Taking after her father and brother, she was of a more sturdy build. She didn't mind that her body had more meat and muscles, much like a boy her age, but it didn't mean that she longed for that natural beauty her sisters had. They were always being beckoned by the young men on the streets when they ran errands. Rings of flowers were given, innocent tokens of affection, proclamations of beauty were called, kisses given under the willow tree near town square; none of these were offered to Eywn, always to her sisters. Lywn and Maywn took these gestures with minimal protest. Her father's hair turned grey quickly with worry that his daughters would run off with the idiot son of the tanner or the oaf of the butcher. He never worried about Eywn though. He didn't want her to resign to an unwanted life, and he knew she had no desire for the same things that his older daughters sought. Although, he knew her sadness at every advance made towards Lywn and Maywn and not her; she knew he wanted her to be happy, but he also wanted to instill in her a strength he knew could never be given to the older girls. If their fate hadn't been to suffer the flames of the pyre, they would've lived a long happy child-bearing-filled life with husbands who doted on their beauty as they served meals and did the washing. Eywn, on the other hand, would not have chosen that and allowed her heart to remain closed.

Remembering the days where her sisters would be given tokens of affection by boys and how none would find their way into her waiting hands, Eywn smiled grimly. She spent most of her time during those days of sadness with her brother, Ronin. He was the sibling she enjoyed the company of the most. Although it was her mother's wish to spend time with her sisters, in effort to spread the feminine tendencies onto a child who would much rather not be swayed by such, Eywn enjoyed the adventures she and Ronin had. They would play wargs and warriors. She would always end up being the warg, because of Ronin's dream to be a swordsman. As she feigned death by a wood stick, Eywn would laugh and kick her brother's legs out from under him so they tumbled in the tall grass together. Those early summer days were filled with bliss. As her sisters would giggle at the dirt and twigs embedded in her un-brushed hair, she would laugh at Ronin's tongue pointing in their direction. Her big brother always defended her. Always.

As the water timer dwindled to mere seconds before her crust would be ready, Eywn heard the wind chime ring by the front door. The only reason that wind chime would sound was the presence of someone at her front door. It was the best doorbell she had that served as a warning before the visitor reached the actual bell. The creaking wood of the verandah would send a shockwave through the wood that lead up to the wind chime's perch, jostling it enough to sound. Eywn stood and brushed the flour and sugar granules from her apron and skirting. Avel became alert at the sudden move. His head turned to follow her as she headed towards the oven. As the bell rang, she pulled the pie from the oven, fearful that she would miss her window of opportunity to remove it, thus browning it too far. Placing it on the window sill near the oven, she grabbed her father's sword, an inheritance that she received on the day of the funeral.

It was broad daylight, but that didn't mean raiders would try to break into her home; she was too far isolated to be free from attack. Avel joined her, a low growl growing in his throat. He always was one to look after his mistress. Looking through the small peep hole at the door, she spied a tall figure swathed in all grey, from his beard to his cloak. The grey-beard signified great age, but that didn't mean the figure was not hostile._

Thank you for reading. Many blessings! ~Eylanan


	2. The Grey Pilgrim

Guests are not unwelcome, but their sudden presence can be unnerving.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2 The Grey Pilgrim

"Identify yourself," Eywn called through the door.

"An old pilgrim in need of respite."

Taking in the visitor's response, Eywn weighed her options. His voice was sharp, but not unkind. She was always taught to welcome strangers if the need was great. He wasn't begging for sanctuary, but he did sound like he needed a place to rest. Eywn's hesitance to allow others into her home almost made her tell the man to keep moving, but her heart wasn't entirely made of stone. His use of the word pilgrim surprised her. Not a traveler, not a tradesman, a pilgrim; what does that make of him?

"If I let you in, how do I know I can trust you."

"You can't be sure…I may be the most untrustworthy person you ever meet…but how could you know?"

"I am inclined to tell you to move on…that this house is closed to strangers, but I am willing to offer you a meal if I know you won't try to harass, harm or murder me or my companions." Eywn's voice was sharp and unyielding. She had learned from her father that she needed to be calm when faced with a difficult situation-calm and steady.

"A meal would be most welcomed, if it were offered by someone who wasn't in the habit of lying."

"Who says I'm lying?" Eywn's sharpness was not vocally wavered, but internally, her mind was reeling. Who was she talking to?

"I am…" The man was stubborn, she'd give him that; but Eywn knew how to counter it.

"Perhaps you should move on then…"

"And miss the chance to share a meal with an excellent cook? I wouldn't dare."

"What makes you think I can cook?" The scent of her pie crust wafted from the kitchen and distracted her momentarily.

"The fire coming from the smoke stack. On this summer day, only someone who bakes would have the sweltering heat of an oven going. If we could continue this conversation without the presence of a door between our noses, I would be most pleased."

Eywn hesitated. He was observant and clearly not one to cross. However, his teasing nature came out. He was certainly sly, but he didn't use it for malice. After about a minute of silence, she heard the man start to shuffle his feet on the porch, the wooden planks creaking as he turned. He was about to leave.

"Wait!" she called. Against her better judgment, she unlatched the door and opened it a crack. A steel grey eye appeared in the small space. Eywn was tempted to take a step back, but she wasn't going to let up. Only her strength to push back the door stood between her and the man outside the door now.

"Am I allowed in, or are you going to keep staring at me through the crack in the door?"

Eywn pulled the door inwards further, so she could get a better look at the man. Her first impression was how ancient he looked. He wasn't bent from age, but his eyes and wrinkled face betrayed the years he had on him. His hold on the walking stick seemed to be merely an act. It wasn't a crutch, but a tool.

"The last time a beggar came by, his intentions were of a more sinister nature." She said, her stance still wary.

"And yet you allow another beggar," he chuckled at this word, "onto your porch?"

"I wasn't taught to fear men, I was taught to be cautious and read them. I see no evil in you."

"That is quite a skill. I've had my share of evil, but not done by my hand. May I ask the name of the lady of the keen eye?"

"May I ask the name of the grey pilgrim first?" Eywn resisted the urge to smile at his name for her.

"Certainly, I am known by many names, but those who call me friend also call me Gandalf the Grey."

"Hence, Grey Pilgrim." She said, gesturing for him to enter her house. Avel took position between her and the stranger, but his growl was replaced with a soft whine. He didn't sense any evil in the stranger either. As Eywn let him in, her grip on the sword did not tighten, but it was not lowered. Gandalf swooped into the house, taking of his hat. He was very tall and the hat only added a closer proximity to the ceiling. His hair was just as grey as his clothing and beard. Grey Pilgrim, indeed.

"Exactly. Now, would we be able to discuss who you are over a cup of tea. Although the days are long and hot in this summer weather, my mind would be more at ease drinking something stronger than river water."

"I have a bit of ale left from my caravan friends, if that'll tie you over until the tea is ready."

"You are friends with the northern caravan?"

"The best. They've been my supplier for several years."

"For one originally wary of my presence, your tongue seems to have loosened quite a bit." His eye twinkled with amusement at Eywn's gaping stare.

"I am answering your questions. By entering my house, I have given you a chance at confidence."

"That is quite a threshold…if it offers such confidence. I'll take some of that ale, if it's not too much trouble."

"None at all. My name is Eywn, by the way. My threshold offers many things and if you're a pleasant guest, a meal won't be far behind."

"Better than the alternative; I'll do my best to behave to keep your favor, Miss. Eywn."

Letting him see her smile for the first time, Eywn gestured for him to head towards her kitchen. Her home wasn't large by any stretch of the imagination, but it was spacious. Designed to provide space for her caravan friends on their nights of rest, she made use of the space with many places to sit and relax. Her drawings and the art of several artistic traders made the living space roomier. Gandalf either chose to ignore the scattered apples or didn't notice Avel's misconduct from before. Her possessions weren't exactly placed in a "proper place;" she was often the only one to see them anyways. What were a few apples scattered across the swept floor? Avel followed the two down the short hallway and settled on a cushion near the window. He didn't lay down like usual, but sat, alert to the presence of the stranger. Gandalf smiled at the dog and offered a pat on the head. Avel happily accepted the touch.

"Please, sit while I get you that ale." She gestured towards her previously occupied chair. He rested his hat on the table and took a seat. She heard him sigh with pleasure. He must've been walking for ages before finding her house. As she bustled around the kitchen, her gaze returned to his. This wasn't a move of suspicion, but rather curiosity. His tall, lanky figure stretched out in the chair, his hands resting on knees that were concealed by long billowing grey robes. The stains of traveling through the wild were almost embedded into the robes; it seemed like they were meant to be there.

His eyes were gazing around the room, taking in the silence that had permeated the walls long ago. There was enough by way of furniture and possessions to show that she had made this her home, but it wasn't excessive. There weren't many voices treading through these halls and Gandalf seemed to sense it. Although Avel the dog provided means for companionship, he knew it had been ages since she was in the company of others. As she set the kettle on the fire, he coughed.

"You mentioned companions during our talk through the door."

"I did…you see Avel, right?" Gandalf chuckled, patting the golden retriever's head.

"Not exactly what I was expecting," he murmured to himself, looking up to see Eywn pull out a mug from a cabinet.

"Would you announce to a stranger that you were utterly alone?" she began to pour the ale into a mug. Satisfied that it was full, she turned to return the pitcher to its place.

"Strength in numbers is a smart thing to feign, but even smarter to practice."

Eywn stopped her actions and turned to him. He was staring at her, his eyes still glinted with amusement, but there was also a touch of curiosity.

"Well, I do have Avel... though overall let's just say that I prefer solitude" she replied, handing the mug to Gandalf.

"We are kin in such a preference," Gandalf said, taking a long sip of the ale. "My compliments to your supplier; he brews a fine ale."

"It's only for special occasions…and specific recipes. This adds a flavor that I've found few other liquids can provide." She poured more into his cup, noting how quickly it disappeared.

She let him nurse his ale and returned to the pie in progress. A small breeze through the window had cooled the crust significantly. She would be able to add the pie mixture and the ribbons of crust soon. Eywn stirred the berry mixture, offering a chance for the flavors to mingle further.

"What kind of pie will you be making?"

"Blueberry. The first of the summer harvest came this week. They are by far the best I've had to work with. I'm hoping foxes won't disturb my garden like they did last year. I had to rely on other means for pie interior."

"What kind of pie is your specialty?"

"That would be my pecan pie in the fall…if I can get the means for it. Those beauties are hard to come by and my pecan pie is most coveted by the caravan's customers."

"I would love to sample such a delicious treat…if I were here during that season."

"Go to any town then and you'll know which caravan holds my pecan pies." Gandalf chuckled at the image of a horde of townswomen buying up pies like wildfire.

Eywn poured the berry mixture into the crust before returning to the oven. She added several logs to the fire in the underneath compartment, kindling the flames to be larger. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she worked the flames. Gandalf sat in silence as Eywn did her work, which pleased her. After so many years of working in silence, it would only throw her off to have someone talking during this delicate process. She grabbed the small lump of dough set aside and rolled it out. Taking a knife, she cut it into ribbons and fashioned the doughy ribbons atop the berries. Reaching for a canister of sugar, without looking, she grabbed a handful of the granules and sprinkled it over the ribbons. Giving it a final look over, she picked up the pan and guided it to the oven. The top door was still closed and before she could set the pie down again, Gandalf was on his feet, opening the oven door for her.

"Thank you, Master Gandalf," She said, placing her creation into the oven. Closing the door, she sighed with relief. The pie's fate now rested with the oven. Setting the water timer to an hour, she leaned against the counter rubbing her hands free of the sugary granules. Her floor was already littered with the crumbs and spills of her exploits. An evening sweeping would be in order.

"How long have you been out here? By yourself?"

"A few years…I don't try to keep track, but there are some days I refuse to forget."

"Of days before or after coming to live here?"

"Both… mostly before. My days here are pretty routine."

Eywn filled his mug again and sat beside him. Her preferred chair was more comfy than the one she currently occupied, but it was only polite to offer the best chair to a guest. Avel moved to rest his head on her lap again. She began to pat him methodically.

"and you spend your days…"

"making goods for the caravan. We have an arrangement." Eywn didn't see it necessary to elaborate, but Gandalf seemed keen on prying.

"A decent one, if you've chosen to continue living alone in the middle of the wild."

"A necessary one. I don't like the company of large groups. A town would be too much for me."

"I am truly sorry to hear that. Companionship is a blessed gift." That's where he was wrong.

"I have to disagree, but I do find your company a nice break from the silence."

"How often do your caravan friends come by?"

"Every few months…sooner if the weather is favorable. I should be seeing them very soon."

Gandalf looked at the young woman with a piercing gaze. It wasn't unkind, but he seemed curious as to her choice in companionship, or lack thereof. He could see trouble and pain filled in her eyes and face. There was a reason for her isolation and it clearly was one with a joyless story. He didn't want to drive her away and chose instead to ignore those prying questions that were filling his mind.

"My travels leave little room for long-term stays…though I've made friends in many unexpected places. The Shire, further west, is one of my favorite places to go as of late."

"I've heard of it…a green country full of holes in the ground that are just as filled with little people. Halflings…I think the caravan traders call them. Silly stories of parties around a massive tree; families filling their homes with curly-headed children and their stomachs filled with massive amounts of food, it all sounds peaceful."

"The Shire is certainly known for its peaceful nature. One of the purest places I've come across in my travels, but that purity is tainted with what I like to call a Tookish inquisitiveness. Sadly, that inquisitiveness is being stamped out as of late. Isolation is key for Hobbits, not unlike yourself."

"Hobbits…now that's a name I haven't heard. They're only called halflings, or curly-headed folk, at least from what I've heard." Eywn's hand strayed to the long brown locks that had as much life to it as a frying fish. She envied Maywn's curly brown hair, a gift from their mother.

"I've come to be quite attached to them and their ways…not to mention their pipe weed. Old Toby is some of the best I've ever sampled." Gandalf chuckled, as he pulled his pipe out of one of the many folds, "would you mind if I indulge…" he gestured to the pipe.

"Sure…just don't burn my table. I'm rather fond of it." She smiled at him as he lit the sweet smelling mixture in his pipe. Taking a long puff on the pipe, he closed his eyes in bliss and let out a large smoke ring. It framed Eywn's face for a moment before dissipating into nothing.

"I haven't caused any fires that were unintended as of late so your table has nothing to fear."

"I am relieved" she was glad that she had let this strange pilgrim into her home. He was pleasant enough and did not pry into obvious questions he had bubbling in his mind.

"Have I proven myself a decent enough house guest to have earned a meal?"

Eywn started a moment, having been gazing at the man and his pipe. She moved to stand, sputtering, "of course…I am sorry. I usually don't start supper until later, but I can make an exception. What would you like? My stew is almost too far gone to be a decent enough meal; I've got fish in the cellar waiting to be fried…I've got a few slices of bread…."she began to ramble, causing Gandalf to laugh. Eywn returned to her seat, curious at his laughter.

"You are very much like a hobbit, very particular about the food they keep. I would be happy with some fried fish, if it isn't too much trouble and some blueberry pie if it isn't waiting for a special occasion."

Eywn had long since decided she would indulge in this one creation for the sake of her guest. She had plenty of supplies left for another pie.

"I'll go further than that…you haven't lived until you try my pie with my special homemade sweet cream…and carrots to go with the fish. Those beauties have been waiting for a chance to be grilled."

She made to stand again but Gandalf stopped her. "Please, if I could trouble you for some of more of your time, I would be happy to wait a while longer. I wouldn't want to break your schedule."

She shrugged. "It's alright. I don't want to keep you. The grey pilgrim must have a grand adventure he needs to attend to. I am merely a hostess along the way. We can talk, while I work."

"If it pleases my lady, I would be happy to. My adventures, while grand as any, are on my own time. As I always say, a wizard is never late, nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to." Gandalf expected Eywn to chuckle, smile too. He didn't expect her face to turn into a horrified stare.

"A wizard…you're a wizard?" she asked. Fear grabbed at her heart. Avel sensed this and let out a low whine. Eywn heard of wizards and their dangers. While she had come to see this man to be a kind hearted old man, the fact that he was a wizard made her hesitant.

"I am, as I always have been, a wizard. Is that a problem?" his question didn't sound offended, but stern. Whatever she had heard of wizards, petty and those of a higher caliber did not instill a sense of comfort in their presence.

"No...it's just…I've never met a wizard before. I've heard stories of them…nosy creatures who butt into people's lives without regard for the safety of those people." She wasn't accusing, it was simply what she had been told and Gandalf recognized this.

"I wish I could disprove what you've heard, but we wizards do invest in the lives of others…but depending upon the wizard, our degree of caring can be very great."

"I don't doubt that…my town likes to embellish stories of wizards who visited years ago and how they almost caused the destruction of the entire place. They would mockingly say the wizard's purpose was "for the wellbeing of the town," but those who grew up hearing those stories that occurred only a generation previous were lead to believe that such an impression of wizards was permissible."

"I imagine there were other things your town did that warranted such a lifestyle change as this." Gandalf gestured to the house. Eywn looked at the scrubbed wooden table. Her eyes closed for a moment, as if passing through a memory.

"You can say something like that…It wouldn't be untrue." She took in a long deep breath. Pushing her thumbs into the bridge of her nose, Eywn pushed herself away from such thoughts.

"I won't pry…but as it is my prerogative as a wizard, according to your folk, I wouldn't be unwilling to listen." Eywn refused to look up, but took in another deep sigh. This was why she didn't have visitors. They always led to this discussion, whether she intended to or not.

"It's nothing…my own problem from long ago. I don't take much stock in the word of my people and I apologize for my reaction to your telling me that you are a wizard. My mind often forgets it is my own to decide the opinion of others. I'm sorry."

Gandalf felt a twinge of pity towards her. She was clearly troubled by a past that did not want to leave the confines of her mind, but her silence on such matters showed that it was not something she was entirely at peace with, as much as she wanted to deny that fact. He reached a hand across the table towards hers. Without waiting for her permission, he took it into his own and squeezed. She didn't pull from his grip, nor did she return it. She took in the touch and realized it had been months since anyone had placed a hand in hers. She always shook Ros's hand once he was done delivering the supplies, she would take the grubby hand of a child into her own for the fire dances, but this foreign hand was the first in a long time that took her hand in comfort. She looked up at the wizard and smiled. Relief; there was relief in her eyes.

"Do not say sorry for nothing. I hope my actions have given you a genuine look into what a wizard can and, in my opinion, should be."

"You have been kind so far, and I appreciate your words. I have grown complacent in the silence. I suppose I needed this unexpected visitor, a wizard, nonetheless, to pull me out of that rut."

Gandalf held onto her hand for a moment longer before returning it to the mug. He took a deep drink.

"You have been a most generous host. Your ale alone is enough to permit me to say that."

Eywn smiled again, her eyes warming in the presence of the grey pilgrim.

Thank you for reading. Many Blessings! ~Eylanan


	3. Farewell to the Pilgrim

Chapter 3 Farewell to the Pilgrim

After the pie was removed from the oven, baked to perfection as usual, Eywn went to preparing dinner for her and her guest. She retrieved the fish, several carrots and a few more commodities to add to this humble feast. As she continued her work, Eywn was entertained by stories told by Gandalf with enough enthusiasm that she was inclined to believe they actually happened. Gandalf seemed to be much more of a rascal than she originally let on. Being hunted by a variety of creatures and getting into all sorts of trouble by his curiosity and inclination to be intrusive, Gandalf's stories broke down the variety of barriers that had been originally built. She would ask questions about the world beyond the northern wild lands and hear of a people known as Horse Lords, the Rohan, the corsairs of the southern coasts, and elves with their grand homes.

She wondered if her blood carried that Tookishness Gandalf had mentioned, for with each story, her mind grew more eager to venture beyond her home. Duty and necessity required her to stay, but it was far too enticing of a thought to ignore to travel the lands of Middle Earth. She wasn't skilled in trekking as he was, but she knew the precautions needed to protect herself and how to collect necessities to survive in the wild.

As the fish, properly seasoned by expert hands, was plated with carrots, sprouts, strawberries, and a few potatoes, Eywn placed the humble meal in front of her guest, who tore into the fish as ravenously as a dwarf would to red meat. She didn't question his table manners, but took to her own food. She poured tea into their glasses and continued the conversation of his dealings with two rather nasty goblins.

"Exactly how many adventures have you been on?" she said between laughs.

With a mouthful of carrot, he chuckled, "that's an unfair question. Adventure comes in all varieties so I could easily say I've been on a thousand adventures…the vagueness permits me so."

"Well, from what it sounds like, you've been on at least two thousand adventures."

"I admit that number isn't far off from the truth." Eywn smiled and finished her fish. Leaning back in her chair, she noticed how the sun was beginning its descent. It would be a few more hours before it was gone, but the day had stretched long since Gandalf's coming. She was sad that it was soon to depart. She gave the scraps to Avel, who wolfed them down and lapped up the water waiting in his little dish. Settling on his cushion again, Avel began to snooze, causing chuckles to emit from the other two in the house.

As Gandalf obliged her with a few more stories, she took to the washing and drying of her dishes before attending to the cream. It was already chilled, but it needed to be whipped again to return to the fluffiness she originally created. Gathering more berries from her stores, she made a show of her dessert. The pie itself was gorgeous to behold. Placing two slices on Gandalf's plate, she topped it with a generous supply of cream and adding several strawberries and blueberries to the top. Taking it a step further, she drizzled a bit of honey over the pie. Pleased with her work, she returned to Gandalf, who had taken to his pipe again after the food was gone. She had put a pot of coffee on to brew and gave him a mugful. Taking the plate and mug, Gandalf could not help but betray a look of eagerness at the sight of the pie. Going to plate her own piece, she heard him dig into this dish more slowly, taking in the flavor. As she settled down into her chair, she saw him deeply engaged in the consuming of the pie and smiled. She imagined this is what the people who bought her pies from the caravan did as they ate her creations.

Looking up from the pie, Gandalf's face was alit with a smile. This was the best compliment she could receive, and it wasn't verbal.

"Your customers are correct to covet your pies. You have been trained well." He continued his work on his pie and she dug into her own. She hadn't eaten one of her own pies in a while and it was a delight to indulge.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's all I ask of those who eat my creations: to simply enjoy."

"I accept that request wholeheartedly. I might trouble you for another if I can indulge myself further."

Eywn nodded between bites. "Of course, I can't eat a pie all by myself. Feel free to take some with you in your travels. Hopefully it'll offer a less grim element to an adventure."

Gandalf chuckled and the two ate in silence, enjoying the community a piece of pie can offer.

Once a bit more time passed, Gandalf was preparing to depart. He returned from the privy outside and happily took the remaining pie that Eywn wrapped in a handkerchief upon returning to the house.

"If I could find an easy way to transport cream, I'd give you some to add to the remainder of the pie, Master Gandalf."

Gandalf pocketed the pie in one of the many folds and took her hand. "I am pleased enough to have gotten a chance to share it with you, Eywn. I'll be able to recall the taste of the cream long after my departure."

Letting go of her hand, Gandalf moved towards the front door. Eywn followed, wanting to see him to the front porch. As he opened the door, Eywn realized how far the sun had fallen in the sky. Orange and pink filled the expanse of the sky above the small clearing. There was no way he was going to travel by night; however, as a wizard, Gandalf could very well do as he pleased when it came to traveling.

"If it'll be too dark for you to leave, you could always stay the night. I've got blankets to spare; I can always kip with Avel if you wanted to take my room." More often than not, Eywn found herself curling up with Avel on his cushion after a long day, falling asleep with a book resting on her face.

"I should be off, but I appreciate your offer," he politely declined, "Might I request waylaying such an offer until another time? I will be traveling this way again in the near future…a few more companions with me then. If it wouldn't be too much of a burden on your house, I would appreciate a place of rest in this home then."

"I would welcome it." Eywn was hesitant when she heard him mention companions, but she wanted to him to visit again. If it meant taking up a few more guests, she would happily oblige. She curtsied and shook his hand. "I shall miss you Master Grey Pilgrim…it was a delight having you in my home."

"I am happy I could cross the threshold of your home and am even more pleased you will allow me to cross it in the future," He bowed low and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I hope you fair well until the caravan comes, Lady Eywn."

"Thank you…fair well yourself, until your return" she replied as he turned to step out into the growing dusk. The wind chime rang as he passed and Eywn held her arms close to her body. The chill of a summer's eve was settling in. Gandalf set off down the small path that led to her front door.

"Don't lose that pie!" she called, waving. He turned and waved, patting the pocket with the pie with his other hand.

"I would never give up such a treasure" he called, waving back. She remained waving until he disappeared into the surrounding forest. Returning to her home, she locked the door and took in the silence. It was a calming feeling, but she knew that for the short time Gandalf was there, she enjoyed the sound of another person's voice. The light was dwindling and she needed to start lighting candles to keep her home lit until bedtime.

Taking to a piece of paper, she began to sketch her new friend. She had a good memory and could recall the wrinkles on his face, the blue-greyish tinges in his eyes, the warmth of his smile. She was happy to have remembered such a face. It reminded her of her father's; Gandalf's fatherly ways made such an association easy.

Dusk turned to night and the candle burned low to the end. She drew other things during that time, but her gaze always returned to Gandalf's portrait, as it set off to dry on the far end of the table. Ros was the closest thing to family she had, but he also was a friend. She was unaccustomed to friends, but she was content knowing that she could most likely call Gandalf a friend. Cleaning the rest of the kitchen and letting the fire die, Eywn then bade Avel farewell before heading to bed. While she didn't intend to, she dreamed of some of Gandalf's adventures. She would for many weeks to come.

Thank you for reading. Many Blessings! ~Eylanan


	4. The Caravan and the Cloak

The Cloak

Enjoy!

The caravan arrived a week and a half later. Two days of playing host to her old friends was a welcomed distraction from the loneliness that began to settle in after Gandalf left. It didn't seem possible that she would miss the company of others, but alas she was longing for a time to swap stories, dance and sing with her friends. Ros and his wife brought her all the commodities that she would need, plus a special gift for her birthday that would occur in several weeks. A small bundle was wrapped atop the pile of supplies they were delivering for her. Squashy and soft, she could only imagine it was a new skirt. Her old one was still perfectly useful, but it would be nice to add another to her collection. Not that anyone would get to see her in it beyond the caravan.

After the first night, the caravan celebrated her birthday by taking over the cooking for her. She begrudgingly let them work with her kitchen utensils and create a sweet berry cake and a dinner of tender beef and summer vegetables. Beef came every now and then, but it was a rare commodity. They danced and sang long into the night. Ros told her of the goings on in towns along their route and shared the details of requests her adoring fans made. They wanted the same pies, but also requested for the next circuit a few new options.

As the night pressed on, the adults gathered around the fire to give their gifts. The children had given her small, handmade gifts they'd worked on during their travels earlier. The caravan members had become like family and she welcomed the small tokens of their familial affection. She always gave them extra baked goods for their gifts, which were happily accepted. Each had their preferences. Ros himself was in favor of a lemon tart she developed specifically for him. Most of the craftsmen gave her extras of what they didn't sell the last time as their gifts, but these were given with much love. As she took the hand-carved utensils, hair bands, and special ingredients, her eyes trailed towards the last gift. She didn't want to appear greedy, but her curiosity wanted to answer the question as to what special gift was being given.

Finally, after much waiting, Ros' wife, Marigold, handed her the wrapped gift. Unable to mask her eagerness, she unwrapped the brown paper and produced something soft, long, and flowing. It was not a new skirt. It was a cloak. A dark green cloak with a deep hood rested in her lap. She had never held anything so magnificent before. It wasn't delicate or fancy, but the silver stitching in the design that wove up the edges were enough to draw her gaze. The fabric was thick, clearly meant to withstand rain, and Eywn fell in love immediately. Her eyes traveled to Ros and Marigold, who were beaming. They were getting up in age and their children had long since left them to pursue individual trades that the two would go and barter with during the circuit. She knew Ros and Marigold considered her a daughter to them and was happy that she could consider them parental figures.

"This…this is…"she couldn't think of the word. She hugged the cloak to her, noticing that the interior of the cloak was a steel grey, meant to add additional warmth as a lining. It reminded her of the Grey Pilgrim she had met weeks before. Ros and Marigold leaned into each other, Marigold's head resting against Ros' shoulder lovingly.

"We're happy you like it, dear," Marigold replied, a smile resting on her aging features, "We thought it would be good for you to have something to keep you warm once the winter months come. I saw the state of your old cloak and new it was time for a change." Marigold was ever the motherly caregiver.

"Thank you…I love it." Eywn stood and hugged them tightly. The other craftsmen and women were uncommonly silent, allowing the moment between the three to take its time. They had also grown fond of Eywn, but knew how special she was to their leader and his wife.

Blinking away a few tears, Eywn turned to the rest of them, thanking each for their kind gifts. They patted her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. Some of the unattached young men blushed when she hugged them. The older gentlemen teased them mercilessly as she passed.

"Before you all leave tomorrow, I'll give you a feast as best as I can give…I won't send my family out into the world without getting a proper meal that wasn't created by a campfire."

Some of the wives protested teasingly, but they all understood. It was a rare thing to get a home-cooked meal. That was the sacrifice of traveling for their trade. She wanted to help give them as many comforts of home as possible. That's why the parents had Eywn take the children into the house; so they could sleep on something that wasn't the hard ground. Avel was a rock star amongst the children. He traveled from child to child during the night, helping them drift off to sleep and comforting anyone who began to whimper.

The night gave way to sleepiness and Eywn bade them all good night. She offered her bed to Ros and Marigold, but they always refused. Giving each an extra blanket and buckets of water from her well, she let them settle into sleep before returning to look after the children. They were all sleeping soundly, but Eywn sat watching over them. She trusted Avel to look after them, but she felt obliged to look after the children of her friends. Several were still young enough to suck on their thumbs and she stifled a giggle at the sniffling and sucking noises that the children emitted in their slumber.

After an hour of watching over the children, she left Avel in their care and went to sleep. Her day would begin early if she wanted to prepare a feast for her friends.

The day indeed began early. A child woke, needing to go to the bathroom. Eywn led him to the privy and looked towards the slowly rising sun. She would need to get the meat started if she wanted to give it plenty of time to simmer and cook. Placing the child back on his mat, Eywn went to her garden with the basket and began to pluck some ripe tomatoes, carrots, peas, potatoes, and peppers to help add flavor to her slow-cooked beef. Rinsing them outside near the well, she took the freshly washed vegetables and began to chop. Keeping a wary eye on the slumbering children to her left, she carefully chopped, the cutting board resting far from reaching fingers that could poke over the edges of the counter. Eywn hummed while she worked. After the vegetables were done, she began to season the meat with a special rub of her own creation. The product of a collection of wilderness herbs, she knew the effect it would have over the meat in the long run. Placing it all into a cooking dish, she kindled the fire to a low heat. Several hours later, the flavors will have coalesced into the meat and ignited flavors not present before.

By then, the children had woken, mumbling about breakfast. Anticipating this, she had put a few slices of bread and butter along with porridge at the table, plus bowls and a mug of water for them. It wasn't right to require their parents to cook for them when the kitchen was fully stocked with enough to fill the empty bellies of her little friends. They all were around the table, eating and slowly filling with the energy that came with a full night of sleep. She smiled at the shrieks of happiness that came from their camaraderie. Most weren't related by blood, but they were all brothers and sisters. The older ones looked after the younger and offered their assistance to Eywn. She happily accepted it, having them fetch ingredients for the array of desserts that would be produced for this day.

The parents entered the house at the sound of their children's laughter and the wives took to assisting Eywn and gossiping about the latest goings on in towns. After breakfast, the men went into the forest around her home and began a hunt for not only their own supplies, but also for Eywn's. they would give her a fourth of what they caught, which was always more than enough and it got the men busy with something other than guiding the horses through rough terrain. The wives all stirred and poured and did whatever they could to assist Eywn. She welcomed their help, but was still uncomfortable by how many people were bustling through her house. She was used to the discomfort that would occur every few months, but now slightly appreciated the presence of other voices. She let them help her, though it was not needed and by noon, the entire house was filled with the smell of delicious dishes. Eywn and a few of the other women took stock of what she had prepared for market and packed them up in the compartments allocated for her. The children and Avel had departed the house to play in the yard. A few of the older women sat outside, keeping a keen eye on their exploits.

Once she had given the items to them and filled the empty nooks and crannies with the new stock of supplies, Eywn watched as the women settled either around the table or outside with their children. They understood her need for solitude and gave it to her as she checked the progress of the meal. Marigold and a few of the other women watched as Eywn moved through the kitchen with ease, testing the temperature of the fire, mixing up a cream that would be used for later, and stirring a broth that would be akin to a gravy for the meat. They recognized a talent when they saw one and allowed her to express such. She soon forgot their presence and focused entirely on creating something special for her friends, for her family. Several hours passed and the men returned with their horde. It was a decently sized amount of meat waiting to be tended to. They took a part of the yard to do this, out of the prying eyes of the children and far from the criticisms of their teasing wives. Several hours later, Eywn had four rabbits, half a deer, and several other creatures resting in the cool cellar.

The entire group settled in the living room, finding a seat where available and waiting for the meal to be served. Before every meal, each member of the group would say a word of thanks. Most thanked Eywn for her kind hospitality, but others took it further. One of the older gentlemen, Warren, actually stood, raising his glass.

"To the lady of the forest and her skilled hands in the kitchen. May we always be blessed with the kindness she offers us through home, hearth, and heart." The rest raised their glasses, murmuring "the lady of the forest." Eywn blushed at his words and stood herself.

"And to every member of this caravan, who have provided me with a life I could never fathom and a family I could never deserve" the older women patted her on the shoulder as she let loose a few tears. Her gaze drifted to every face and fixated on her adopted parents, Ros and Marigold. It was a time of thanksgiving.

They ate, laughed, and drank their way through the meal. After dessert, Eywn took to cleaning the kitchen as the group started to pack up their caravans. Several children helped her put things away and clean the living space as they told her stories about towns they had visited. She listened attentively, asking follow up questions that ignited their delight in her presence.

The caravan stayed one more night, planning an early start. Ros pulled her aside as everyone began drifting off. Taking her over towards the well, Ros was silent as they walked. Something seemed to be troubling him.

"Eywn, I wanted to ask if were interested in joining us. There have been whisperings of evil awakening in the north. I know you are an adult and can choose your own path, but I worry that the evil will spread and you'll be caught in the middle of it all."

Eywn looked up at his face, her eyes betraying the hesitancy she held.

"I can't. You know full well why."

"I just don't want to come back to a ransacked home and find you missing or worse," he replied, his eyes filled with worry.

"I'll be fine. Whatever's brewing in the north won't bother me. If anything, I'll lock myself in the cellar if anyone tries to ransack my house. It's what I always do when there's trouble."

"But what worries me is that it might not be enough. If what I hear is true, there is something wrong with the Green Wood and villages are being attacked by evils that usually stay quiet."

Eywn sighed. Turning to take a step away, she rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"Ros, I appreciate your offer, but my place is here. You can't expect me to leave this behind. It's all I know…all I want. I love when you come, but I can't follow you when you leave. It's not my place in the world."

"Eywn," he began, his eyes filled with sympathy, "I know you feel safe here, but I don't want to lose you like I've lost so many others, please recon…"

"I'll think about it," she interrupted him. "If you respect me as an adult, you'll let me consider my options and respect my decision."

Ros's mouth opened and closed, internally debating her words. Finally, with a hint of frustration, he nodded.

"Very well. If you do decide, we'll stay another day to get your things settled. Otherwise, we leave in the morning. I expect your answer then." He went to hug her, and she happily entered his embrace.

"I love you, little one," he said, smoothing her long brown hair.

She sank into his embracing, saying nothing. He let go and headed back towards the caravan. Eywn sat at the side of the well for a while. Her mind weighing the pros and cons. Sure there was danger in staying, but she didn't care for rumors. She would rather stay where she was than flee based on the assumption that staying would mean being attacked. Once the cold got to her, she went back to her room, stepping over sleeping children, a snoozing Avel, and a silence that was filled with the sounds of soft breathing. Eywn belonged in the silence. She felt safest there.

Once the sun was rising in the east, the caravan prepared to leave. Last minute trunks were bolted down, children were sent to the privy, and covers tied down to the wagons. She stood at her door, watching as the families settled themselves into the wagons. Ros and Marigold hung back, knowing their signal was waiting for the other to depart. In those final moments, they hugged their adopted daughter and whispered words of love she had once spoken by her parents. Ros hugged her even tighter, knowing what staying meant. He feared for her, but couldn't do anything to stop her.

"Be safe, dearest," Marigold whispered, pulling the young woman into her embrace, "we will be thinking of you always."

Ros hugged her again tightly, always unsure of comforting words to say. "Don't handle anything alone… Eywn, if you ever need anything, send word and we'll get it to you. I can't promise that we can break the circuit, but we'll do everything we can. Toret-town is only five days away and Regg is a trusted contact. He can find me anywhere on the circuit if you need me."

They said this every time they visited and every time she knew they would. Warren, had been sent once word got out about a bear approaching homes and settlements. He arrived two days after Eywn removed herself from the cellar, and stayed a few days after to be sure she was safe.

"We'll be back before October, before the winter months settle in. We'll have time to make one more circuit before snow fills the northern passes. You are more than welcome to come with us then…take this time to consider it and when we're back you can choose."

"I'll think about it." Ros deflated at her response, but he nodded, understanding that this was her decision.

They pulled her into a hug and held her for several moments.

"I love you both." This was the first time she had said this to them.

They tightened their grips around her and held on longer than necessary. Two of the horses grew impatient and the group broke away once the neighing and whinnying grew incessant. Ros kissed her forehead and Marigold gave her one tighter hug before heading towards their wagon. She watched as her family departed from the clearing, onto the forest path. Waving at each man, woman, and child that departed, Eywn stood at her door until they were out of sight. Sighing, she returned inside to rest. The first few weeks after they left, she would spend with few projects on her schedule. The pressure to get the goods prepared for departure was not as pressing in this time seeing as they needed to keep for a long while. She would tend to her garden, prepare food for herself and Avel, but not do any specific work until she had a time to collect herself. Then the gathering would begin. The stock would be taken and she would begin the process of making a new batch of creations. Most could keep for months, but she never pressed her luck when it came to the quality of these pies.

Eywn allowed herself the joy of resting on the verandah until the sun had sunk low in the sky. Not regretting her decision to stay, she took in the silence with a grim sense of relief.

Thank you for reading. Many Blessings! ~ Eylanan


	5. A Merry Gathering

It's time for Eywn to meet the dwarves! Hopefully they'll keep themselves in check this time, unlike when they met Mister Baggins. Enjoy!

Chapter 5 A Merry Gathering

Two weeks passed. The silence returned, but the memories of the recent visit remained. Eywn enjoyed slipping into those memories. The children had grown in only a few months and their dancing had improved. She hummed a song they taught her from learning it in a town further south. The day's baking was done and she had settled on her verandah, sketching a pair of rabbits who had taken up residence in her front yard. Avel had tried to get her to play ball with him, but she was too lazy on such a hot day to do so. Avel took to napping at her heels instead. It brought a smile to her lips as his breath turned into soft snores.

The day wore on and there was a sense of peace that had settled over Eywn. She was submerged in the silence of her home and the far off chattering noises surrounding forest. Nothing was disturbed. All was calm.

Avel's head shot up. She felt his fuzzy head hit her boots and looked down. "What's going on, Avel? Hear a squirrel?" she looked up to where he was gazing and wondered if the dog was going mad.

"You hear invisible things, silly pup," she said, chuckling. She was about to return to her drawing of a vine creeping up the support beam on her verandah when a figure appeared through the woods on the path. She was about to stand to go grab her sword, as it sat inside the front door, but as the figure drew closer, she smiled, remaining seated.

"Gandalf!" she cried happily, "I was beginning to think you forgot my offer of a place to stay!"

He chuckled as she waved wildly from her seat. Her feet were perched on the railing of the verandah, her skirt sliding down near her knees. Propriety was clearly not needed in the wilderness.

"Lady Eywn, it is good to see you! He called, coming closer to the house. I am pleased you aren't so wary of my comings this time. I did not forget your offer and am prepared to take you up on it; my friends and I are indeed." She set her drawing on the nearby table and made to stand up. Avel, who had been resting underneath her chair, stood and bolted towards the wizard. He barked happily, circling the wizard and waiting to be pat. Eywn stood, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, where are these friends of yours? Unless you've turned them invisible with your wizardry, I cannot see anyone but us."

"Oh, they're coming behind me on the path." I hope you do not mind, but I have quite a merry gathering on their way." Gandalf said, kneeling to pet Avel on the head. The dog licked the wizard's beard, taking in the affection he was being shown.

"Well, so long as you didn't bring an army with you, I am happy to oblige," Eywn said, taking a step from the verandah. Gandalf stood, Avel circling his ankles again. Eywn really hoped an army wasn't following him.

"I believe several of our company is approaching now," he turned back to the road. Eywn raised her hand over her eyes to see without the sun blocking her view. A group of four arrived on the path, all in a variety of hood colors. They were in the midst of a joke at one of their member's expense. Said group member was blushing and held his head down. Eywn sensed something was different about this lot. It didn't take long before she realized they were dwarves. As they approached and didn't get taller, she realized they were in fact about a foot shorter than her. She had been considered short among her family, but here she was noticeably taller. They were all guiding ponies towards her gate. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she pushed back the anxiety that was bubbling upwards.

"Welcome, friends of Gandalf!" she called, stealing their attention from the blushing dwarf with a short beard.

Two of them, also with short beards, grinned and ran over to the gate. Avel barked happily at their approach as they left the teased dwarf and a much older one walking at the same pace. They waved from their distance, but the two that ran approached her immediately, bowing low.

"I am Fili, and this is Kili, we are at your service, my lady." The blond dwarf said, raising his head to look at her.

"And I'm at yours, Masters Fili and Kili. Please call me Eywn."

Before they could say anything, the other two dwarves approached and bowed low.

"Balin, at your service," "Ori, at your service" the two smiled. She introduced herself again to these two and gave a smile to the younger dwarf.

"I heard them teasing you on the road…I hope it wasn't too bad." Ori blushed again.

"It was nothing, my lady…" his voice trailed off as the two young dwarves standing nearby burst into fits of laughter.

"Poor fellow was asking questions about what you'd be like…these two dunderheads had little mercy towards him." Balin answered, patting the younger dwarf on the shoulder.

It was Eywn's turn to blush. She chuckled and shook Ori's hand. "I'm glad you were curious. Gandalf says that Tookishness is something that should be embraced, Master Ori." Raising her eyebrows at the two other dwarves, she smiled. Gandalf laughed and turned back to the road.

"I see several more are arriving."

Eywn took her gaze away from the present dwarves to the oncoming bunch. There were four more approaching, just as rowdy as the rest. She could hear one singing loudly and the others adding their voices to aid the song. Eywn had a feeling she would like this bunch also….but nine guests? That was a lot for her to fathom. She was used to the large caravan crowd, but that was a rare and expected occurrence. She didn't regularly host large groups and this would be the second time in a short while she would be doing so. Swallowing the hesitance that filled her limbs, she called out to them, "Welcome, even more friends of Gandalf!" she waved to them, moving towards the gate to greet them. Their singing ceased and they began to call greetings, quickening their pace. The other dwarves had tied their ponies to the fence so the others repeated the practice.

The one who had been singing approached first, his mattock hefted neatly on his shoulder. He set it down next to him, bowing low to ground.

"Bofur, at your service, my lady." He said, resting a hand on his hip.

"Eywn, please. I am at your service, Master Bofur." She said, curtsying. This action earned her a protest by one of the younger dwarves, Fili…or Kili?

"Oi, she didn't bow to us!" She heard them yelp as if Balin had knocked them on the head.

"Tha's cause you lot aren't as charming as I am," he answered, bowing again. Eywn suppressed a chuckle and let Bofur lead her over to the other dwarves.

"This is Bifur, my cousin," Bofur introduced a rather haggard-looking dwarf with a bit of axe sticking out of his forehead, "he don't speak much…but he's at your service as well," Bifur nodded shortly and gave a grimace that would resemble a smile. Eywn smiled and gave a short curtsey.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Bifur, I am Eywn" she gave a universal sign of greeting she suspected he would recognize. Bifur returned the sign and his posture straightened. Holding out something, Eywn watched as his fingers uncurled to reveal a small blue flower. One from the outskirts of her clearing. They grew in abundance in the summer time.

"He wants you to take it," Bofur said, unnecessarily. Eywn blushed and did so.

"Thank you Master Bifur, it is one of my favorites," she placed the stem behind her ear and smiled. Bifur walked on, muttering something in a language she did not understand. Bofur shrugged and followed Bifur as the dwarf walked towards a small bush.

"I am Dori, at your service," an elderly dwarf introduce himself, bowing very low, "I compliment you on your home. It looks very inviting after several weeks of rain on the road."

"I am happy to hear that," Eywn smiled grimly, remembering the discomfort of a series of rainy days. This was the first where the warm sun had come to dry the excess water from the ground.

She turned to the final companion. His hairstyle was by far the most curious of them all. It looked like he had the points of a star sticking out of his head. He bowed midway and introduced himself as Nori. She shook his hand and he went over to Ori; if she were getting family names correct, she suspected that the two, plus Dori were related. Looking up, her eyes went wide to see another group of dwarves approaching her home. How many were coming, exactly? She looked over to Gandalf, who had a glint of amusement in his eyes. He had planned this. Eywn would talk to him later, but for now she welcomed the new bunch.

Waving to them, she smiled as they returned her greeting from afar. They approached the gate and were greeted by their companions.

"Gloin," a fiery redhead spoke, "…and Oin" a grey bearded dwarf added, "at your service, my lady." They bowed and Eywn introduced herself. They moved aside for the next two.

A bald dwarf introduced himself as Dwalin, "at your service," he said shortly. He seemed to be a dwarf of few words and she respected that. Eywn smiled and curtsied. The last in the group introduced himself as Bombur. A rotund dwarf, she sensed that he would appreciate her cooking the most.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Bombur. I hope you enjoy my cooking."

"If it's anything as Gandalf has boasted, I know I will." He said, bowing as low as he could.

She smiled and turned to Gandalf. "I hope you didn't set their hopes too high...I've been known to burn the bread when under that kind of pressure." The dwarves burst into laughter at her words.

"Well, it's true. So, have all of you arrived?" She tried to veil the tension building in her mind, but knew it wasn't missed by the wizard's ever observant ears.

"We're waiting on two more…where are Thorin and Master Baggins?" Gandalf replied; Eywn sighed, she had been praying that they would say that the "merry gathering" was complete.

"The poor hobbit was being berated when we broke company" Bofur replied, petting Avel on the head, "who is this delightful creature?" he asked as Avel circled him in excitement.

"That's Avel…short for Avalanche…He's an avalanche without trying, so I'd be careful." Eywn replied, smiling as the dog's hind leg began to shake when Bofur found a sweet spot.

"I see our leader and the burglar have arrived." Dori called, going to open the gate for them

One of their number was clearly not a dwarf, given by his clothing and shorter stature. He seemed to be blushing far more heavily than Ori had. Apparently the berating had taken its toll on the poor figure. She waved to the two, trying to ease the tension that was clearly there.

"Welcome, friends, to my house." She said approaching the two. The smaller, curly-headed figure approached her first, his smile growing. "Bilbo Baggins, at your service." She looked back to Gandalf, who had taken interest in a butterfly near her verandah.

"Eywn at yours…by chance, are you one of the hobbits Gandalf was talking about…one of the haflings from the Shire?"

Bilbo stood taller and prouder, "Indeed I am…a Baggins of Bag End in Hobbiton."

"I'm pleased to meet you," she said shaking his hand. The final figure approached. Whereas Bilbo had been pleasant and happy to meet her, she was instantly filled with a sense of distrust in the gaze of her final guest.

"Welcome to my home; I am Eywn, at your service," she curtsied. Waiting for his reply she felt the smile on her face wane as he took in her figure. It was as if he were sizing her up.

"I am Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain. Thank you for your hospitality." He replied shortly.

Eywn knew it would take time for this one to warm up to any interaction. Without waiting for her to respond, Thorin went over to speak with Balin, dismissing his host as soon as he felt the pleasantries were exhausted.

Now that all of Gandalf's companions had arrived and were busy milling about in the front yard, content with talking amongst themselves as they regrouped, Eywn moved to the top of the verandah. As if sensing she was going to make an announcement, the dwarves and Bilbo had gathered around her.

"Once again, welcome to my home…" she struggled to find the next words, realizing how unfamiliar she was with speaking to large crowds. "I offer you a place to rest and fill your bellies" the dwarves began muttering happily at those words.

"However, I do have a few rules. It is no offense to you, but when Gandalf told me he had a few friends who might be traveling this way and need a place of shelter for the night, I certainly did not expect the merry lot before me." Chuckles rang out among the dwarves, the loudest came from Gandalf himself. Eywn didn't miss the glare Thorin shot at Gandalf, who dismissed it as nothing.

"I've heard a great deal of dwarven guests, and of dwarves themselves, though I have learned since meeting Gandalf that I am allowed to make my own judgments about the nature of people. With that being said, I ask this of you: Don't prove me wrong." She couldn't help but be amused at their quizzical looks.

"Specifically, while you are a guest in my house, you will be respectful of my home and myself; meaning you will not track mud and grim through my floors, you will take what is given, and afford me the kindness you yourself would expect of a houseguest." She didn't realize it then, but Bilbo had been through this ordeal several weeks earlier and did not have the luxury of speaking to his dwarven guests beforehand.

The dwarves bowed low; it seemed to be their way of exhibiting a degree of respect, or it was a formality. Balin chose to speak for the group seeing as Thorin was busy giving Gandalf a look of death. "We thank you for your hospitality, Lady Eywn. Upon our honor as dwarves, we will not get carried away as Bilbo knows full well." The company laughed, though Eywn saw that Bilbo didn't laugh. It seemed many teasing jokes came at his expense.

"I am assured you will," her eyes gazed over at Gandalf, whose eyes were alit with mischief.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings! ~Eylanan


	6. Unspoken Discomfort

Chapter Six Unspoken Discomfort

She welcomed them inside. They hung their cloaks and weapons at the front door and wiped their boots on the mat. Eywn would have to give it a thorough scrubbing later. Guiding them into the kitchen, she put on a kettle for tea, laid out the replenished supply of ale, and started brewing coffee. Before she would even attempt to start preparing a meal, she would get them all beverages. The dwarves wandered around her home, taking care to not enter her room, which they respected as a place of privacy, and eventually settled to rest in the main living area. The kitchen was filled to the brim with dwarves and the two younger dwarves, Fili and Kili, followed her like puppies during her work. They were flirting, asking questions, and offering to help incessantly. There was a set of boy twins who traveled with the caravan. They were about five years old and Eywn could see their mannerisms personified in these duo dwarves.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" Kili asked, stirring the coffee absentmindedly as Fili pulled out mugs and cups from her cupboards.

"I have for this part of my life. I don't venture beyond my gate too often."

"You and Mr. Boggins are alike…he hated the idea of leaving his precious hobbit-hole."

"Well, why go out in the wide world when you are content where you are," Eywn smiled, taking the spoon away from Kili. He immediately set himself to pouring cups of ale and taking them to the older dwarves who were busy occupying themselves with conversation.

"Adventure, for one thing," Fili said, his eyes alight with curiosity, "and getting to see far off places."

"It all sounds nice, but I would be lost without my kitchen…the people on the trade circuit would be lost without my cooking."

"I've seen that lot-they always carried the neatest stuff…" Fili propped himself up on the counter, swinging his short legs to and fro. "Thorin wouldn't let us go near them…but if we were good, we could get one of the cakes or pies being sold by the womenfolk."

Not wanting to draw more attention to herself, she instead focused on Thorin, who had taken a seat near Gandalf and was in the midst of silently arguing about something with him.

"Is Thorin your father?" she asked, noting the faint traces of resemblance.

Kili, who returned for more cups of ale, shook his head, "No Lady Eywn, he's our uncle. He looks after us like we're his sons though"

Eywn laughed, "It seems he is right in doing so," noting how Fili tried to trip Kili on his way to the other dwarves.

As the beverages were being distributed, she settled on preparing the meat portion of the forthcoming meal. It was almost too late in the day to start such a process, but she figured the dwarves wouldn't mind if their tummies were quelled by the smells filling their nostrils. As she went to the cellar, directly below the living area in her home, several dwarves peered in after her. She made her way to the back of the cellar, to where it was coldest, and grabbed many slabs of the dear flank, a basket with a few dozen fish, and decided she would return for the vegetables and fruit in a moment. Walking up the short stair with her arms laden, she heard several dwarves asking if they could assist.

"I've got it, no worries," she kicked the cellar door shut with a resounding thud and wove her way through the company of dwarves. They all espied the meat with an eagerness she had only seen in the eyes of the men traveling with the caravan.

Going to her pantry, she pulled out an entire bag of potatoes. Two more were waiting to be used, but they were among her private stores. Eywn then put her cap on and grabbed the garden basket. She had been waiting for a few days to pluck the most recent crop, and decided with today's nutrient-rich sunshine, the veggies and fruits would be perfect. As she made her way outside, several dwarves followed her. Perturbed at the idea of dwarves watch her work in the garden, she looked back, only to be relieved that they had resigned to smoking their pipes on the back porch. Among them, Gloin, Oin, Balin, and Bofur had settled down in chairs and on the steps of the porch. Fili and Kili chose to entertain Avel by chasing him through the backyard. Eywn went to work, checking her carrot plant, pleased with the result. Those few extra days of rain did wonders for her vegetables. Gently uprooting the ready crop, she filled her basket. Picking an array of berries from their vines, she tasted a sample of each before plucking more.

"How are the berries, Lady Eywn?" Balin called from his perch on the back porch.

"Try them for yourself," Eywn replied, tossing several in his direction. He caught two, leaving the rest to be caught by his companions. Their pleased looks upon biting into the berries told her everything she needed to know. Hefting the now filled basket in the crook of her arm, she brushed the soft dirt from her skirting with the free hand. She brought her apron up to her forehead and wiped away the sweat that had begun to bead around her hairline. She turned to her companions and returned to the porch. The woodpile under the overhanging section of the porch roof was getting low and she made a mental note to go fill it later. She didn't see it, but Gloin's eye followed hers to the dwindling supply of wood.

"Can I be of assistance, Lady Eywn?" Oin asked from his seat near the back door, ear trumpet pointed in her direction. Looking to her vegetables, Eywn knew she needed water, but didn't want to be a rude hostess and make him work for her. She looked him in the eye and saw he wanted to assist if he able.

"If you could run to the well and get me some water, I need to get these vegetables cleaned…if it isn't too much trouble" She replied, thankful for his kind offer.

"I am happy to help, Lady Eywn," he stood and grabbed a pail near the porch. Bellowing for Fili to approach, he handed the young dwarf the pail. "Go fill this with water, laddie. Our host needs it for cooking."

Fili, who had been bewildered at suddenly being given the pail, straightened up and nodded.

"It would be my pleasure," he said, winking at her. Turning, he ran for the well further down the yard.

Eywn burst out laughing at Fili's sudden diligence before returning to Oin. His eyes twinkled with mirth.

"That's one way to offer assistance. Delegation." She said, suppressing her laughter.

"Always the best policy…I think I should see where Gloin wandered off. He wasn't the only one who noticed your wood pile was getting low." Before she could stop the older dwarf, he took off after Gloin.

"You're taking this better than poor Master Baggins did…though we weren't quite as merciful with him as we have been so far with you." Bofur said between puffs of his pipe.

"Well, for that I am most relieved. I don't take well to visitors…I prefer to keep to myself."

"That's a shame-such a cheerful disposition being shared with only a dog and shadows on the wall."

Eywn turned to him, unsettled by his words.

"It's a necessity…nothing more." She returned to the house and started work on the meat. Now that it had time to thaw, she began to spread her special herbed rub on the deer flank. Once Fili returned with the water, she rinsed the vegetables in the small tub near the window and went to work chopping them. Years of practice left her skilled at rapid fire chopping. It wasn't until she finished that she noticed it became uncommonly silent. Turning her head, she jumped a little to see her guests watching.

"You have quite the skill with a chopping knife," Dwalin observed, breaking the silence.

"My mom, and grandmother, taught me many years ago." She turned to her veggies and added them to the pan where the seasoned meat was waiting. She stuffed carrots, potatoes, sprouts, celery, and a few others in a nice arrangement around the meat. Remembering her mistake last time, she opened the oven door and returned to the waiting pan. Placing it inside, she closed the door and let a sigh of relief. Now her creation was in the hands of the oven.

Turning to her guests, who had noticed the discomfort she felt when being watched and returned to their own conversations, she placed her hands on her hips.

"Now, I don't usually indulge in such, but I have a variety of pies that are waiting to be eaten. My suppliers were more than generous this time around and I fear I may not have room in my cellar by the time all the materials are used up…So would I be able to inquire as to which pie types I can tempt you with? I've got several blueberry, a few cherry, two apple, three plum, and a few pecan pies. My strawberries came in full bloom this week so I could put those to good use…"

She stifled a laugh at the hungry looks that filled their eyes and left them to decide. She heard Nori mutter to Dori, "Gandalf wasn't wrong about her…"

"Ay, I have to agree…it's been a long time since I had plum pie." The dwarves began to discuss the important business of pie flavors and which were the best.

Taking the remainder of the vegetables, she seasoned them and placed them in a pot. Filling the pot with the second pail of water Fili brought to her, she added a few thickening supplements to the water and the juices she stored from past meat dishes. Placing this over the fire, she left it to its own devices and began to pull out the ingredients for biscuits.

"I think you have an admirer, lady Eywn," Bofur called as he entered the house. His eyes had trailed over to Ori, who was walking along the walls, looking at the array of drawings she had pinned on the walls.

Ori didn't realize it was he who was being talked about until he heard the plaited pigtail dwarf come up behind him.

"She's got quite the skill…I've seen you do similar fancy scratches on paper."

Ori blushed, mumbling something about how his scratches weren't fancy.

"I'll bet she'd love to chat with you about drawing…you could be quite the pair…" Ori sputtered at Bofur's suggestion. The latter dwarf laughed and slung an arm around the younger dwarf's shoulder.

"I'm only teasing lad."

Eywn, thus far had ignored the exchange, feeling a smile tug at her lips.

"He's right, Ori," Fili called as he brought Eywn a third pail of water, "I'm sure the two of you have loads to talk about."

It was Eywn turn to be caught off guard. She had dealt with her brother's teasing for years, but never before had she been subjected to such teasing by anyone outside her family and the caravan. She exchanged her discomfort for laughter and played along.

"If Ori wants, he can borrow some of my supplies for your journey. I'm sure all the grand adventures you all have will need to be documented. I'd be happy to oblige"

She was happy to see the small smile creeping on Ori's face.

"I'm sure he would be thankful for such an offer," Dori spoke, as if it were common for him to speak for his younger brother.

A moment passed before her eyes snapped back to the work waiting on the counter.

"Help yourself, Master Ori," she turned and went back to working on the meal. Conversations struck up again and the moment of silence was long forgotten. She set work to the biscuits. Laying them under a cloth to rise, she went outside to the small hen coop, checking the nests for any more eggs she could fry. Kili had worn Avel out and the two were lying in the tall grass. Far off, she could hear chopping and new Oin and Gloin were still at work. They would get a pie all to themselves for their kindness, she decided. As she ducked out of the hen coop, she heard someone approach her. Recognizing the footsteps, she turned to see Gandalf approach the small fenced in space.

"How are you faring, Ms. Eywn?" he asked, a smile forming.

"I wish I had known there would be fifteen of you…I was expecting a few guests, not a company of hungry dwarves." Gandalf had clearly not expected such a short response. He had seen her interact quite well with the dwarves, but now, the reality she hid so well was being revealed.

"Often the best things in life are the unexpected things."

"I have to agree, but in this case, I should've been at least given a day to prepare. There are dwarves running around everywhere. I am happy to offer you and your companions all the shelter and food they want, but I would've liked to have known before they arrived."

"You sound much like Master Baggins…I am most thankful for your generosity though. The road ahead is long and harsh."

Eywn shifted her hold on the basket of eggs. "I am happy to help. However, Gandalf, the next time you ask for the hospitality of others, be sure to give them some notice before you take up your offers in the most unsettling way." She was about to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"Has this anything to do with your past? Why you are so insistent on separating yourself from others?"

She turned to him, forcing to keep her gaze as steady as possible.

"It has everything to do with that," her voice was low and thinly veiled the anger she was experiencing, "You established early on in our meeting that there is a reason for my being isolated out here. I don't like large groups of people. I can hide it pretty well, but even when I'm around groups smaller than your company, it's just as stifling as..." she stopped herself.

Turning back towards the house, she began to walk briskly away. She ignored Gandalf's calls for her to come back. She ignored Kili's calls to have her join him and Avel. With eyes looking straight ahead, she made her way to the porch, pushing back the pain she knew was boiling in her mind.

Thanking Oin and Gloin as they set new blocks of wood into the wood pile on the porch, she blinked tears out of her eyes and stormed into the house. However, she had completely forgotten about the large group of dwarves waiting on the other side.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings! ~Eylanan


	7. All the Happiness in the World

Chapter Seven: All the Happiness in the World

Upon entering the house in such a loud manner, silence filled the room as the dwarves took in the state of Eywn. She composed herself as quickly as possible and returned to her favorite spot at the counter.

"Is everything alright, lady Eywn?" she heard Balin's voice ask. Turning away from the group, she caught her breath before it betrayed a soft sob and nodded.

"I'm fine. Got stung by a nasty bee out there; I've never gotten used to their little stingers." Her voice was cracked a bit, and she knew they were aware that it was more than a bee sting that was causing her frustration, but she was relieved when none of them moved towards her. She turned and found a smile that had been hiding in her inner turmoil.

"I wish I had something for you all to snack on…I hope the ale and coffee are serving you well so far."

The dwarves nodded, lifting their glasses in reverence to her hospitality.

"We're saving room for that delicious smelling venison," Bombur called.

"Can we do anything for you, Lady Eywn?" Dori asked, getting to his feet.

"You don't have to call me Lady, I'm far from such a title…and it'll only go to my head." She said, smiling.

The dwarves laughed, "Alright la-lass," Bofur replied, putting emphasis on the la sound to tease her.

She spent the rest of the day cooking and joking with the dwarves. All the discomfort she felt was slowly ebbing away. Kili and Gandalf soon returned inside with Oin and Gloin. They all made attempts to help, but she swatted their hands away.

"Interloping in the affairs of a woman and her kitchen is a criminal offense I don't think you can afford," she said, "Besides, you've had the difficult job of traveling through rain and wild. Your job, unless needed, is to take some time for respite."

They ceased their incessant, but not impolite, offers to help and allowed her to continue working alone.

They all settled in the array of seating available, talking amongst themselves. Out of all them, the one she noticed was visibly trying to be out of the loop was Master Baggins. He kept to one of the corners, enjoying his pipe, and avoiding the gaze or attention of his companions. She wondered if this was how he felt when the dwarves invaded his home. She felt utterly out of the loop, flustered, and tense at the unexpected presence of so many others. He noticed her gaze resting on him and she offered a short smile of understanding. They were kin in feeling out of place. Bilbo returned the smile and approached her.

"May I be of assistance?" Bilbo held up his hands and smiled.

"Thank you Bilbo, would you like to stir the soup for me?" she knew he was looking for something to do and decided that she wanted to make him more comfortable.

"Of course," he smiled with a renewed sense of purpose. He took the spoon and began stirring.

"So, some of them have been hinting towards some fairly nefarious things happening at your house…care to enlighten me so I know what I'm getting myself into?" she asked, standing next to him as she scrubbed a pile of strawberries in a bowl near the water basin.

"They threw my plates around…got mud everywhere, and depleted my larders down to nothing." Bilbo said; his face took on a grimace. Eywn chuckled. It definitely sounded like what she heard of dwarven houseguests.

"I can't wait to see how they top themselves here." Bilbo couldn't suppress a smile, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"They've been very tame so far…I wish I could've had the chance to talk to them…though they wouldn't have listened anyways." Bilbo replied and stopped stirring.

Eywn looked over to him, "You feel out of place among them?"

Bilbo nodded, "I've been trying…but I don't know what to do to make Thorin and the others trust me."

"Lighten up, Master Boggins," Kili said, taking the spoon from its resting place in the pot. "We all like you well enough…"

The hobbit's face turned bright red and he stammered something about Thorin that no one could comprehend.

"Ah…once my uncle gets used to you, you'll be just fine," Kili said with a grin spreading to the far corners of his face. Eywn and Bilbo both inadvertently turned to look at Thorin. They managed to catch a glimpse of Thorin's face in mid-scowl .

"I can only hope you're right about that assessment of your uncle," Eywn replied after a moment of silence. Kili burst into soft chuckles, knowing the vote of confidence in his uncle's favor was dashed by the impossibly solemn dwarf. Bilbo and Eywn joined in as Thorin's glance went towards them.

"I hope Kili or the hobbit aren't disturbing your work, Miss. Eywn," his voice called amidst the din of dwarven camaraderie.

"Oh no, Master Thorin, they're keeping me company well enough," she said, stifling a giggle.

The "very important" dwarf nodded, before turning back to Gandalf, who seemed to be in the process of appeasing him over some great issue. Eywn didn't pry, but she feared Gandalf may have been too bold when he mentioned that he would be traveling with companions in her direction.

The hum of conversation rarely strayed to Eywn, but when it did, the talk seemed to get silent, as if they knew she was fighting against the unsettling feeling in her stomach. She wished they wouldn't do so; it only made her more nervous. Their subdued talk made her miss a beat while she stirred and mixed.

Bofur, was anything but subdued. "What I don't understand is why such a pretty thing is holed up in the middle of the wild," he was not trying to be subtle, which surprisingly put her at ease. "She must have a fella somewhere…or a family to speak of…"

He was hit and poked by his companions, but it didn't stop him, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the lady is hiding." Gandalf gave him a stern glare. Silence filled the house again. Eywn stopped rolling dough into the crust that would make a strawberry pie and turned.

The dwarves looked to her, curiosity clearly in their eyes. None wanted to pursue such a topic if it would bring the haggard look they saw her reenter the house with.

"You're right, Mister Bofur…I am hiding," she chose her next words carefully, "The wild is my solitude and it has been for several years. You are wrong, though about the fellow and the family. I have neither to speak of…save for my suppliers among the northern caravan. They are the closest thing to a family I have left." She turned back to her work. "You read people very well, Mister Bofur…much like Master Gandalf; and like him are not afraid of letting such understanding out." Her voice was not harsh, but it was short.

She heard someone rap another hard on the head and Bofur yelped. "Bifur, I was only making conversation…no need to hit me."

"How old are you, La…Eywn?" she heard Balin ask from the table.

"I'll be turning twenty five in the next six weeks." There was uproar of protest coming from the table.

She turned, bewildered at their response to her age. "What? I'm an adult? I have been for four years."

"By dwarvish reckoning you'd still be a child…"Dori responded "and a tween by shire reckoning," Bilbo called.

"Well, circumstances make people grow up mighty quickly…I wasn't afforded the luxury of remaining a child." Rubbing her temple, she sucked in a breath. It wasn't fair to them; they didn't know. She shrugged and raised her hands, "I apologize if I've made you feel bad, but I will ask that you stop asking me questions about this…it is my business and mine alone."

The conversation quickly turned away from Eywn and returned to a place called Erebor. Ori began asking the older dwarves questions and they happily obliged. Relieved by their understanding, Eywn returned to her crust. Placing it in the oven, next to the meat, she leaned against the counter, putting her weight on one elbow. She saw Gandalf stand to approach her. She turned and went to the tub of water that had been filled several times over by Fili. Inside, dishes were swimming amongst the bubbly water. She began to wash the utensils with a diligence she rarely exhibited.

Gandalf stopped behind her and stood thoughtfully staring out the window near her head. As if deciding on words, he shook his head and she sighed with relief when he left. She heard another figure approach her and she continued her diligent washing.

"I apologize, lass. I was out of line." She heard Bofur whisper to her right.

"No…you weren't. It's a fair question. There aren't too many like me out in the wild. It's natural to be curious…" she said, her eyes not leaving the soapy water.

"Whatever it was…that led to this…I hope you find peace of mind over it. I truly do," He kissed the side of her head, just above the ear. Eywn turned to look at him but he had already returned to his seat. She saw Thorin, who had been silent for most of the day, approaching.

"I am grateful that you offered my men and I shelter. It is a kindness I hope to repay." He said, his voice low.

"It's no problem…I am happy to help your group on whatever journey you are embarking on," she turned to him as she placed a measuring bowl onto the counter.

"If Bofur was too bold…"

"Don't worry about Bofur," she chuckled, "I know someone just like him from the caravan. He's always been cheeky. Nothing I can't handle."

Thorin nodded, as if the business of Bofur's boldness was closed. He peered into the bowl of strawberry mixture, as if curious as to its contents.

"If your pies are anything like what Master Gandalf says, I'd say we will be given a comfort we haven't had since the good times."

"Gandalf likes to boast..."

"A wizard's way, I am heard…but I'm inclined to believe his boasts." Thorin handed her a dirty dish as she turned to grab it.

Eywn took it and smiled. "You're men have been most kind…I'd hate to think of what Masters Kili and Fili were hinting at when they mentioned your behavior at Master Baggins' home."

"Dwarves tend to get carried away. They need a reminder to be gentlemen." Thorin seemed visibly pleased that Eywn laughed at his words. He handed her another dirty dish.

"They've done well enough so far," Eywn replied, "though your nephews are very much akin to Avel in his early years…even still a bit in his current years-very clingy," she suppressed a smirk as Thorin looked bewildered at his nephews being called puppies.

"I suppose that is a fair assessment," he finally replied, watching as Kili followed Fili with an empty mug, bemoaning its emptiness. Fili swung the full pitcher over Kili's head and retreated behind some of the older dwarves. Eywn snorted as the younger dwarf rubbed his head and tried to move past in immovable Dwalin.

"I hope you realize that our presence here must not be spoken of. Gandalf has assured me of your goodwill, but I wanted to make it clear that we were never in your company. Our errand is of great importance and I am inclined to believe that you wouldn't betray us to any unfriendly ears," Thorin's harsh tone had her attention and she looked down to his stern gaze. She nodded.

"Of course, I rarely see anyone and I never go far beyond the borders of this clearing. Your presence here is between you all and myself. Prying ears will hear nothing of it." She said, her voice calm and assuring. Thorin nodded, his eyes betraying a hint of doubt.

"Is there anything else I can do to prove my fidelity," she asked harshly, knowing she was taking too much offense at his request. "Any dwarvish blood oath or sacrificial ceremony I can perform to make you trust me?" too much offense indeed; she didn't take into account that Thorin knew not of her history or of her honor to keeping promises. She understood his doubt, having little faith in the word of others, but since the days of her youth, she was bound by an unwavering sense of duty to her spoken word. She would never betray a promise unless absolutely necessary.

Thorin's eyes grew wide at her escalation of the situation.

"None but your word is necessary. I trust Gandalf's judgment. Forgive my assumptions," he apologized, inclining his head.

"Forgive my harshness," she replied, "I forget myself at times. It is not often that I must trade promises with others. Avel is the recipient of those promises and it is for the trivial matters of a full bowl of food and time out hunting in the forest," Thorin smiled at her words, noting how Avel was roaming amongst the dwarves, looking for a willing hand to pet his head.

"I am sure…" he held out his hand and Eywn took it without hesitation. The two shook, sealing a bond that neither knew would be put to the test in only a short time after.

Thank you for reading! ~Eylanan


	8. The Important Business of Jigs and Pies

A light-hearted chapter for a gloomy day. I'm uploading two chapters at once since I didn't get to keep to my schedule last time. Enjoy!

Chapter Eight The Important Business of Jigs and Pies

Dinner came quickly and the dwarves' table manners, while horrid in the purest sense, were not as bad as they had been in the home of Master Baggins. There was joking, laughing, yelling, and open-mouthed chewing. Eywn sat off to the side, watching the dwarves interact. Bofur, Kili, and Fili were by far the worst. Dwalin was right behind them in his table manners. The only ones who seemed to be reserved were Gandalf, Thorin, Bilbo and Balin. The first two were joining in the merriment while Bilbo and Balin sat quietly, chatting amongst themselves.

Before she could stop them, the dwarves began doing the dishes, tossing them to and fro while Bifur and Ori were at the washing tub by the window. A tune sprang from several of their lips and turned into a full on concert in her kitchen. Dwarves were moving everywhere, shuffling, hopping, and turning to the beat as they did their work. In the time it took her to blink, stand up, and take a step, her plate had been wrenched from her hands and washed. Eywn turned to Gandalf and stared in bewilderment as he chuckled off to the side.

"Do they always do this?" she asked, trying to raise her voice over the sound of their singing.

"It is a custom they've adopted since meeting Bilbo." He responded, patting her on the shoulder.

She turned back to her kitchen and saw it spotless. The dwarves were all standing, staring expectantly at her. Their faces held the goofiest grins she'd ever laid eyes on. Kili and Fili were laughing at soap bubbles forming on Ori's head. The others joined in as Ori realized the offensive bubbles were there and started patting at the top of his head. Eywn resisted the urge to laugh as his older brothers slapped him on the back, their own faces a picture of breath-stealing laughter.

"Well…that saved me a long while…thank you," she sputtered, her cheeks blushing from their kind gesture.

"It was no trouble, my lady," Balin answered, bowing low.

An awkward silence filled the room as Ori's fiasco with the bubbles ebbed. Several of the older dwarves moved to return to their seats. Looking back at Gandalf, Eywn realized it was her responsibility to dictate the remaining proceedings of the evening. Eyeing the instruments that had been produced during their dish washing tune, an idea came to her mind.

"Before we delve into dessert, could I trouble you for another song or two? I don't play instruments and my only chance to hear music is when the caravan stops by and…" before she could even finish, more instruments appeared out of nowhere and the dwarves all gathered around in the living room and began to sing. Fili and Kili danced in the center of the room. They began singing of a dwarf maid and her adventures with a dwarf lad.

Dancing like a bunch of buffoons, they eventually gestured to Eywn to join them. Shaking her head, she laughed, blushing.

"I don't dance," she muttered, trying to back away from the living room. Before she could retreat further, she felt someone push her towards the center. Bombur's rotund belly had bumped her. Stumbling, Eywn nearly tripped over her skirt but was caught by Kili's hand. He spun her around and passed her to Fili. Taking his hand, she grabbed a fist-full of skirt with the other hand so she wouldn't trip further and began to dance in-step with him. The dwarves hooted as she twirled around, being passed from brother to brother. Ori was pushed into the center also and she took his hesitant hand. Spinning into him, Eywn laughed as Ori fumbled when grabbing her hand. Finding his bearings, he took the lead and did the three step jig before passing her on to the next dwarf. Some of them, Bifur, Dori, and Gloin abandoned their instruments briefly to have a chance at dancing with the lady. Gandalf sat in the corner of the room, his pipe sticking out of his mouth, smiling at his companions' merriment. Eventually, Eywn had found herself dancing with all of her guests, except for Bofur, Thorin, and Bilbo. Everyone continued singing, and periodically some left the center of the room to keep the music lively. Balin took both of her hands and began a more traditional dance, where the movements were less hoppity and became more fluid. She preferred the previous dance, but soon the other dwarves caught on and danced the same way. Eywn, in effort to keep the underlying discomfort of so many visitors in her home, pretended these were the members of the caravan. She felt instantly less nervous and allowed herself the joy of dancing with strangers.

Moving from dwarf to dwarf, Eywn was starting to feel dizzy. She was glad for the slowed pace. Turning, expecting the hands of Fili to grab hers, she felt the hands of Bofur instead as she spun around. His smile was wide and he bobbed his head, as if to keep count with the music. He guided her across the floor with a skill she did not expect. Spinning out, she took in a breath before spinning into him. He grabbed her free hand and the two turned slowly, both hands holding the others'. He spun her out again and they faced each other yet again. Switching hands, they began to dance face to face, kicking their feet up in unison. Eywn's smile mirrored Bofur's as they reached the point where she would be handed off again. Bofur missed the beat where he was supposed to let go.

So did Eywn.

Catching themselves, they let go at the same time and Eywn stumbled a bit before taking the hands of Nori. The star-haired dwarf righted her and the two began dancing to a more jig-based tune. As she spun around, she saw Bofur grabbing Bilbo's hand and pulling the sheepish hobbit into a three step jig. The hobbit indulged him for a few dances before being taken by Fili. As she spun into Nori again, she saw Bofur had returned to his flute, his eyes staring right into hers. It was only a moment's hold, but their gazes met and stuck for what seemed much longer than it actually was. Nori turned her again and she saw the rest of the company dancing with one another and playing instruments as they go. Eywn took in the entire sight, glad she had let the confounded wizard into her home several weeks' previous.

Once the music seemed to die down, Eywn collapsed next to Balin and Oin by the wall. Panting, she turned to face them and their eyes were filled with mirth.

"That was the most fun I had in weeks." She leaned against the wall and took in deep breaths. Dancing took far more out of you than initially realized.

"We're happy you enjoyed yourself, lady Eywn. It's not often we have the pleasure of a female dance partner…well, save for Gloin." Oin replied, patting her on the knee. The other dwarves continued to play and dance while some rested.

"Why Gloin?"

"He's one of the few of us who are married. He gets to dance with his lovely wife as often as he wants."

"Aren't you all married, or at least have someone?" she asked, her eyes shifting towards Bofur involuntarily.

"No…sadly, since the fall of Erebor, dwarves have been in less-than-stable life situations. Marriage isn't as plausible as it once was…not to mention many of our women had been killed in the initial attack. There are too few of them." Balin said, his head bowed.

"I'm sorry…that's terrible," Eywn said, seeing the humility in his posture. So much loss of life…it put her own story into perspective.

"It's terrible, but those of us lucky to have women take it as the greatest blessing. Divorce is almost nonexistent…but we'd rather have those lives back far more than any statistic," Thorin mumbled from his perch on a chair near the three.

"I understand completely. The lives lost are more preferable to anything tangible…" Eywn said, staring at her folded hands.

"What do you know of loss?" Thorin asked, his voice wasn't angry, but he didn't seem convinced that she could understand anything that his people had endured. Eywn swallowed her anger and turned.

"Well enough…well enough to value the lives of those closest to me far more than my own; beyond that to do everything in my power to not lose them." Eywn stood and returned to dancing.

Ori's hand was the closest and she took it without waiting for him to agree to a dance. He spun her around. Suddenly, Fili and Kili were upon them and Ori's hand was gently pushed out of Eywn's. The two brothers spun her around and she could not suppress a laugh as they spun her around in their arms faster. Being wedged in between them, she could not easily escape. Eywn passed Ori a sympathetic smile during one turn. Kili let go first, leaving Eywn and Fili spinning. The dwarves were all laughing as the two spun faster and faster. Eywn tried to let go of Fili's hand, but he held firm. Soon Eywn was close to falling over as her skirt getting caught underfoot. As she was about to ask Fili to let go, he did. And she careened forward, into the waiting arms of Bofur. Nearly knocking him over with the sheer force of all the spinning, Eywn struggled to find her footing as the dwarves howled with laughter. Bofur laughed with them, helping Eywn find her legs. Her world was spinning and Bofur's smiling face kept coming back into her line of vision. Thankfully, Fili was being supported by Kili or else he would've fallen forward from all the spinning.

"You should be more careful, lass," Bofur said as she finally was able to stand without his help, "those two can come up with the worst sort of mischief."

"I can tell," Eywn said, finally letting go of Bofur's hand. The dwarves all cheered as Eywn curtsied lightly and went to approach the still struggling brothers. The music turned into a quick paced jig that required a lot of foot stomping. Starting her stomping innocently, doing the correct string of movements around the two, Eywn's smile grew devious. The brother's feigned fear and began to stomp themselves. She spun around them and with one mighty stomp, her foot connected with Fili's. Yelping, he stumbled backwards; Eywn's eyes turned to Kili. Raising her eyebrows, she let him know it was his foot that would receive such a reward for their previous move. He moved back and the other dwarves pushed him back towards her. Trying to escape and keep dancing, he spun around her, avoiding one particular stomp intended for him. Eywn followed him, dancing and stomping to the correct rhythm.

Before she could corner him, two arms encircled her waist and hoisted her in the air. Letting out a soft shriek, she found her feet planted firmly facing the opposite direction. Fili spun her around to face him, his eyes twinkling with the same devious look she had given. Eywn was about to retaliate when Ori, in his attempt to get Eywn's attention, tried to lift her up like Fili had but could not, creating an awkward situation. Fili and Kili surrounded the two, closing in, dancing to the rhythm. As Fili went to intercept Eywn's hand, she spun around, avoiding all chances of anyone gathering her into their grasp. Curtsying, she laughed as the three dwarves looked visibly disappointed as she went to go sit by Gandalf. The two brothers conceded to just dancing with Ori as they had with Eywn. Bofur made his way over to the two and the music turned into a slow song that the brothers abandoned Ori during to dance with each other.

Bofur was laughing as he approached Gandalf and Eywn.

"You seem to be quite the hit with the lads," he said, finding a place next to her, "I'll bet this isn't any different from what you experience already."

Eywn shook her head, "No, that's the longest I've danced with anyone. My sisters were the beauties of my town. They got asked to dance all the time. I spent most of my time watching. My dad and I would dance though…when my mother got tired of being spun around like that."

"I don't believe you are lad-less…that's impossible."

"I'm out here by myself…who am I going to have dances with? My chickens? Avel? He's protested that for years."

Bofur laughed and played with the cuff of his sleeve.

"So no lads to call your own?"

"Never."

"Quite the shame" The two were silent for a moment. Eywn felt her heart rate elevate slightly as she took in his words. He seemed genuinely sad that she never had that experience before.

"I'm used to it…I'm not cut out for love."

"I disagree, lass. Love is a strong thing and it takes a strong person to have love. Since I've met you, I've seen the love in your eyes. Yer a very giving person….taking us all in for the night an' all…"

Eywn shrugged her shoulders, "I do what I do because I enjoy it. Making food can only take me so far. Eventually I need to share it with more than just myself and the caravan."

"And that's not a degree of love?"

"I'll let you decide that…seeing as I've never taken too much thought to it,"

"That mindset is the easy way out…I don't see why you wouldn't be one who deserves love,"

Eywn shrugged again; she really hadn't thought about the degree of love she put into creating pies. It was something she did that kept her busy and set her mind away from the dark thoughts of her past.

"Maybe once I've found the right man I'll be able to see it more clearly. For now, I make pies to keep me occupied. Idle hands make for a very dull existence,"

"That, I believe we can agree on," he produced a small wood carving of a dog from his pocket. Handing it to her, Bofur smiled, "I always have a project going, even if I have nothing to carve with, I'm still carving it in my mind,"

"That must keep you busy on your travels, Master dwarf," she replied, taking in the fine craftsmanship of the small carving. "This is wonderful," she stroked the dog's head as she did with Avel.

"Keep it," he said, "consider it a thank you for putting up with my impossibly humorous antics," he said, puffing out his chest. Eywn chuckled and held onto the carving tighter.

"Thank you, I love it. I'm sure Avel will get jealous though," the two chuckled as Avel bounded around the dance floor after Fili, who held Avel's favorite fetching ball captive.

The dancing emptied all stomachs from the delicious meal they ate. Soon Bombur began to grumble about being hungry. Taking it as a sign that the pies should be distributed, Eywn ended up cutting up several pieces for each dwarf. As the dwarves dug into the pies, Eywn sat back with Bilbo who took to his piece of pie with far more grace than his dwarf companions. She watched as the pie disappeared quickly from their plates. She gave them seconds, which for a normal person would've been fourths, and was soon completely out of pies. The dwarves took to their pipes and the scent of sweet smoke filled the air. Silence began to settle and sleepiness filled their eyes.

Eywn took their plates and started washing the dishes. The dwarves watched as she hummed to one of the music they had played. They listened to her humming and it added to the softening of the night. Ori began snoozing at the table, his ears filled with Eywn's humming.

Finishing, she didn't realize she had an audience until after she turned back to the dwarves. They all had that sleepy-eyed look, entranced by her humming.

"I can fetch you all blankets. I'm sorry I don't have extra rooms. I don't usually host this many people….I'll gladly offer my room if…" this request was shot down before she could even finish, "very well then…the living room is the largest and will be the most comfortable I can offer."

"We've been sleeping on roots and waking up with morning dew in our eyes; we are pleased enough to have a roof over our heads for a night," Dori replied. The dwarves nodded in agreement. Eywn retreated to her room to grab the multitude of blankets she had acquired from the winters spent freezing.

Rushing back to the living room, she saw the dwarves laying claim to certain parts of the room. Passing blankets to dwarves, she bade each of them good night. Bofur, Fili, and Kili kissed her on the cheek and she rolled her eyes. They chuckled and settled into their blankets.

Dousing candles, Eywn went to the kitchen to kill the fire below the oven. Yawning, Eywn ambled to her bedroom, waving to Gandalf, who had settled against the wall with his blanket and pipe.

Getting into bed, Eywn felt exhaustion roll over her; however, she couldn't fall asleep. The dwarves were sleeping and snoring loudly enough to keep any sensible person awake. After nearly an hour of not being able to sleep, she got up and paced her room. The window overlooking the road revealed a night lit up by stars and the moon.

A clear night.

Eywn tiptoed out of the room and silently wove her way around the sleeping dwarves. Going to the back door, she creaked it open and stepped into the cool, night air. Standing on her porch, Eywn looked up to the stars and took in their twinkling beauty. She settled onto the porch, hugging her knees to her chest. Sighing, she kept her gaze fixed on them. Sleep began to sound far more appealing the longer she stayed. Soon, her eyes drooped. Standing, she took one final look before heading back to the door. She opened it softly and reentered the house. The dwarves continued sleeping as she re-bolted the door and walked back to her room. She thought she saw someone shift in their sleep but didn't wake up. Closing the door, Eywn watched the dwarves as the door crack grew smaller. Smiling, she was glad that today happened. She felt sad that the next day would be when they departed.

The dwarves left early in the morning. They ate a light meal and began to settle their packs onto the ponies. Eywn watched their work, sad that they would be leaving soon. She had packed rations for them so they could have a few more meals that weren't minimal at best. She pulled Ori aside from the berating word of his older brother, Dori, and handed him a small sack filled with an ink well, a few rolls of parchment and a soft stone used for lightening lines that were mistakes.

"I hope you continue your pursuits…you are very talented, Master Ori," she said, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. His face went beet red and the snickers from the other young dwarves filled their ears.

"Hey, you're next, rascals." She pulled them both closer and gave them each a kiss on the cheek.

"Whatever did we do to deserve such rewards from you?" Fili asked, winking.

"Being good guests…and fetching me all that water too…" she patted both on the back and went to say her farewells to the other dwarves. Kissing each dwarf on the cheek she suppressed a laugh at their blushing faces. Gloin was particularly teased because he was a married dwarf.

"Wait till your lady hears about this Master Gloin," Bofur called from the gate. Gloin, in his fatherly tendencies, placed a soft kiss on her forehead, much like what Ros did.

"Be safe, Ms. Eywn." He whispered, before raising his axe menacingly at Bofur. Bofur ducked the older dwarf's playful swing and approached Eywn with mirth in his eyes.

"It's been a pleasure, Lady Eywn..." he bowed low. She pushed his shoulder playfully.

"I told you, none of that "Lady" nonsense," she smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as well. Her lips lingered a moment longer than they had when she kissed the other dwarves. This did not go unnoticed by Bofur. He took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"I wish you all the happiness in the world, _Lady_ Eywn." He emphasized the "Lady" much more this time, "I really do."

"And to you, Master Dwarf." She replied, patted his hand and quickly moved on to say farewell to the other dwarves. Each offered their own personal farewells. Bombur bemoaned how much he would miss eating her pies; Nori apologized, with much prodding by Dori, for trying to steal a necklace; Bifur gesticulated excitedly over something in Khuzdul and she took it as a sign of thanks for her generosity. She gave him an additional kiss on the cheek, which made the dwarf stumble back a bit. Blushing, he went to over to his cousin, Bombur, and began speaking to him, pointing back at her. Eywn smiled and finished her goodbyes. She ended with Gandalf, who had to be the one to kneel so she could reach his face.

"I am glad you returned...it was exactly what I needed." She said, kissing his cheek. He took his hand in hers.

"I am glad to hear so. We are most grateful for your hospitality. Until our next meeting…" he spoke softly. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he stood and adjusted his hat.

"The day is rising fast, we must be off." Thorin called. His farewell had been short, but not ungrateful. He seemed unnerved by her light kiss on his cheek, but took it as a sign of friendship.

The dwarves, Gandalf and Bilbo mounted their ponies and set off towards the eastern road. As per tradition, she stood at the gate and waved until they were out of sight. A few turned in their saddles and returned the favor, but it was Bofur who called back to her, "Farewell, Lady Eywn!"

She laughed at his insistence of calling her by that hated name.

As they disappeared, she felt a tug of sadness. She was happy to be back in the solitude of her home, but the laughter and music that had filled the air last night made her miss the company of dwarves. Avel circled her ankles, whining. Apparently he was sad to lose his new friends too. She knelt at his side and petted his back.

"I'll miss them too" she whispered. Looking back to the road, she sighed. Standing up, she urged Avel to run after her and the two went around the back for a few rounds of catch. Her garden looked sadly bare, but she knew it had gone to good company. The two played until the sun was nearly done with its rise to the center of the sky. She knew her time would have to return to taking stock of what she needed to prepare to make up for hosting such an event. However, she chose to spend the final morning hours on her front porch, much like the day before. She mused over the stories told and the jokes made. Avel ran up to her, something in his teeth. She saw it was something polished and carved. A pipe. One of the poor dwarves left it behind. She wasn't too concerned, seeing as Oin had offered her his second that was hidden in his breast pocket. They all must have doubles. She held it in her hands, a memento of the time they shared together. It had to be one of the dwarves'. It was delicately crafted and shorter than the one Gandalf used.

As she traced the small designs with her thumb, she felt herself succumbing to the warmth of the sun. It was a good time to doze.

Thank you for reading! ~Eylanan


	9. A Turn for the Worse

This chapter is one that is close to my heart. We just had to put my golden retriever down and I had this written long before it happens. It resonates a whole lot more now. On a happier note: I am done with college! I now have all the time in the world to sort out what the heck I'm going to do with my life…and update this story more often.

Enjoy!

Chapter 9: A Turn for the Worse

Avel's barking jolted her out of her musing. She sat up, glancing around the edges of the forest. Avel's barking seemed frantic, and worried, which let off warning bells in Eywn's mind. She stood and went into the house to get her sword. The dog's barking continued from the back of the house. Making her way through the house, she kept her eyes fixed on the windows, looking for the perpetrator that caused Avel to panic. She was beginning to wonder if he had merely been startled by something- a deer or a wolf…but then she saw it. A flash of darkness passed outside the window near a tree. A large figure with someone riding atop it.

She had only heard stories of these creatures but she recognized it instantly. Eywn's house was surrounded by orcs on wargs.

Eywn saw Avel paw at the back door and she rushed to let him in. The wargs surged forward, tearing through the hen coop and her garden before landing on her porch with a deafening thud. Eywn was in the process of shutting the door when a rough hand grabbed the door and pulled it back with a force that almost sent Eywn tumbling forward. She abandoned the door handle to aim her sword and got a quick stab in the chest before the others approached. The stabbed orc growled and fell back behind his comrades. Eywn took advantage of her moment of opportunity and swung again, slicing across the neck of a new orc; she used the momentum to swing at another. This time, the blade went across the stomach, creating a deep gash along the weak part of the orc's crude armor. Eywn backed up as he too collapsed in front of her.

She did not have much time to celebrate this small victory. Eywn's sword hand was grabbed and she blinked away tears as an orc pulled her out onto the porch. Eywn was flung off the porch and she landed with a thud on the grass. The first orc she stabbed was on the ground. Her stab had been true; the light was leaving his eyes and he coughed up dark blood. Eywn felt a sense of grim satisfaction before a foot slammed onto her back. She gripped her sword tightly as a hand tried to pluck it away from her. Eywn felt two hands pull her to her feet and hold her between two stench-filled orcs as another approached her. Her sword was still in her hand, but the orc holding that side had a rough grip on her wrist so it was useless. The orc in front of her stopped inches from her face. She took in the sweat, foul breath, and unwashed face of the lead orc. A sinister smile passed over his face. Eywn refused to look away from his eyes. Fear coursed through her limbs, but she wasn't about to let this foul creature see the terror.

"Where are the dwarves, whelp?"

Eywn didn't dare blink, but a tremor of horror shot through her body. The dwarves? Certainly they couldn't mean her houseguests from the night before. Her mouth remained shut. The orc snarled and slapped her face. A flash of pain erupted on her left cheek. She felt blood fill her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut. Taking in the pain, she looked back up to the orc, her eyes a mixture of defiance and anger. She would not speak.

"Tell us...or we'll burn this entire place to the ground." Eywn's eyes went wide.

"What dwarves? I haven't seen anyone in ages" she earned another slap. Eywn spat the blood onto the orc's muddy boots. She turned her gaze back to his, her eyebrows knitted in fury.

"Don't lie to us, scum…we know they passed this way. Which way did they go?" he shook her in his grasp.

"If you could track these dwarves to this point, wouldn't you be able to find them again?"

Eywn knew it was stupid. She knew she could be killed for such a bold statement, but the orcs would kill her anyway. The orc considered her words for a moment. His eyes went narrow and turned back to the house.

"Search the place…and kill the mutt." Avel, who had been in the hold of one of the orcs, had been barking and growling during the whole proceedings. Eywn began to fight the hold the two orcs had and pushed herself forward. The orcs held her firm as one of their number hoisted their crude sword and plunged it into Avel's neck. Eywn screamed as the dog's growls turned to whines. She watched the light leave her companion's eyes and tears began to form. She knew she would be next.

The sound of orcs rampaging through her home brought Eywn back to reality. She began to kick her legs up, trying to loosen the hold the orcs had on her. They held firm, ramming her into the ground before yanking her up again. She watched as her possessions were flung from her windows and doors. The lead orc turned back and grinned. Eywn felt tears forming in her eyes and no amount of self-restraint could stop them.

"Now…where are the dwarves?"

"I've seen no dwarves" her voice sounded strained and she knew her death was imminent.

Several orcs came out with baskets full of her supplies. They had left the vegetables and fruits, but the pies and supplies of meat were all brought out. Her knives and forks were also thrown into a large pile. One orc brought out a few of her blankets; among the blankets, she spied the hood of the new cloak she had been given by Ros and Marigold. A breath caught in her throat at the sight of it; they would not take something so precious from her. She squirmed, moving to free it from the pile, but the orcs held her tightly between them. The ale was carried out last. Eywn slumped as her possessions were being strewn across the lawn.

"We found no dwarves…but we did find this." The orc held out the pipe she had thrown onto the table in her rush to the back door. It looked like any ordinary pipe, but the dwarvish runes were clearly carved into the wood. Why the orcs would have any reason to know what dwarvish runes looked like was beyond Eywn, but it clearly brought their attention.

"I bought it from a trader years ago…" Eywn said, trying to sound as if it didn't matter. The orcs turned to face her. The lead orc grabbed the pipe and thrust it forward so it was inches from her face.

"Why don't I believe you, scum?"

"I don't know…I bought it years ago" Eywn felt her voice starting to sound desperate. The orc threw it to the ground and grabbed the front of her tunic. Eywn was pulled up and the two holding her arms kept a hold so her arms were pulled back. Eywn's feet kicked, trying to find the safety of the ground.

"Human brat," he spat, "If the trader you bought it from "years ago" was among the caravan we met last week, you should know your supplier of this filth won't be trading with anyone…ever," Eywn's eyes widened in horror. The caravan, her friends, her family…..they were gone. Her expression could not be masked; she couldn't fathom this reality. The orc seemed pleased with her reaction; he pulled her closer to his face, letting his tongue lick his uncared for fangs. His breath seemed to penetrate every pore of her face and she had to give everything she had in not squirming.

"If you won't tell me, I guess I'll bring the dwarves to you…" he let go of Eywn and she plummeted to the ground, the arms still being held by the orcs. Eywn bit back a hiss of pain as her arms bent awkwardly behind her. She was yanked to her feet again and led forward. Eywn dug in her heels as she was steered toward the house. Whatever they had planned, she knew it couldn't be good.

"I don't know any dwarves!" She screamed, trying to turn her head back to the lead orc. He was handed a torch by one of the orcs who had ransacked her house. Eywn began to piece together his plan and realized that she would be a part of it in a most discomforting way. As she was pulled into her house, she began to fight even harder. In the struggle, her massive table was overturned as the orcs shoved her towards the cellar, whose doors had been left open in the previous ransacking. At the top of the short stair, Eywn was released and she tumbled down the stairs and landed hard on an overturned shelf. Eywn turned just as the door was slammed shut above her. She stumbled to her feet and tried to push the door open again. The door didn't budge. She heard something scraping against the top. They were locking her in. She pushed against the door with her shoulder, putting all her strength in pushing her shoulder against the door. It barely trembled. Her breath caught in her throat…how were they going to bring the dwarves to her?

Shouts could be heard from outside and Eywn let out a soft breath she had been holding in. She heard something familiar…something crackling and that something was now filling her house. It didn't become apparent to her until the smoke began to seep down through the cracks.

The orcs had set her house on fire. She placed a hand on the wood and felt the heat rising. Eywn tried everything she could to not let panic settle in, but she backed slowly and sank to her knees. If she escaped, the orcs would be waiting for her, if she stayed, she would be burned alive…like her family.

Eywn tried to push back those memories, but the choking air was igniting long lost memories.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~Eylanan


	10. Looking Behind

This originally was going to be a part of the previous chapter, but I decided that spreading it out would make things far less strenuous. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 10 Looking Behind

The dwarves were riding at a steady pace towards the Misty Mountains. Some were humming a gentle tune; the younger dwarves were teasing each other; Gandalf and Bilbo were talking about the elves, and Thorin was brooding at the head of the company.

It had been an hour since they left and the sun was making its rise towards the center of the sky. They were all sad to leave the house of Eywn, but it was a necessary sacrifice if they wanted to reach Erebor as soon as possible. Some of them frequently turned their heads back in the direction of her home, but none more often than Bofur. He was sad to leave the lady and while he would never admit it, he wished he could've spent more time with her.

Once the sun rose to the height of its journey at noon, the dwarves were startled to hear the sound of an orc pack riding further north. The howl of wargs echoed along the otherwise silent forest. The dwarves dismounted and moved to a hiding position. The orc pack wasn't close enough for them to see, but any sound of an orc pack was enough to set them on high alert. They knew it was better to lie low than try and run, especially when they had mounts and supplies to transport. There was a higher chance of being spotted moving than if they were solitary. The sound of orcs riding towards the direction they had just left started murmurs amongst the dwarves that soon reached Thorin's ears. They were all speaking of the home they had just left. Eywn's home.

"We should keep moving," Thorin ordered, "we don't want to get caught in a gathering of orcs."

"They're riding in the direction of Lady Eywn's house…she could get caught in the middle of their meeting." Balin breathed, his voice betraying a fear that all of them were harboring.

"We should go back," Gloin added, the others nodding in agreement.

Bofur turned his pony towards the direction they came, making to follow the sounds of the orcs, but Thorin's voice stopped him. "We will keep moving forward."

Gandalf pulled his horse alongside him to Thorin, his eyes blazing. "I will not turn my gaze away from danger when someone dear to me is in trouble. We are going back, Master Oakenshield…even if she is alright, we cannot be certain unless we investigate."

Thorin felt caught. He didn't want to risk the lives of his men on the chance that a stranger who took them in for the night was not in danger but the thought of her being mutilated by the orcs was pushing his way to the forefront. The dwarves stared at him, their eyes all betraying the same thought. "Go Back"

The dwarves turned their company around. Bilbo, Dori, and Balin were to remain behind with the ponies that held the supplies. Dori initially protested Ori going with them, but Nori assured his older brother that he would care for the youngest of the Ri brothers; not surprisingly, his reassurances were met with a huff by the eldest brother who begrudgingly agreed to stay behind. They hid themselves among the underbrush of the forest off the side of the path. The other dwarves rode back, their ponies being pushed hard by fear and ill-ease. They covered the distance that had taken them two hours at a gentle canter in half an hour at a full run. It was a murder on the ponies, but it was necessary.

As they drew closer to the clearing, Bofur looked up to the sky, only to halt his pony. A black smoke was rising from the sky ahead of them.

"Thorin," he called, "What do you make of that?" he knew it was too large to be a campfire…it was too large to be a burning pile. And the smoke, it was darker than he cared for. The company looked up and took in the sight. They were just as bemused by the sight as Bofur.

"They're burning…something" Thorin knew the orcs hated fire, but they would often set fire to a structure or region to signal to their group of the gathering...

It didn't hit them simultaneously, but once Gandalf and Thorin filled in the blanks, their horror filled gazes alerted the others. Only Ori had the voice to say it. "Eywn's home." The dwarves and Gandalf urged their horses forward, eager to get back to the human woman's house.

As they reached the clearing, the dwarves dismounted, feeling the heat radiate even from where they were hiding on the road. The ponies were tied to a tree along the side of the path. The dwarves hurried to get a better look in the clearing. What they saw horrified them. The orcs were standing around the burning house of Eywn. They looked around the yard for a sign of her, but there were none but orcs. Along the trampled ground, they saw piles of food and supplies that had been plundered prior to the lighting of the fire. The dark form of a dead orc did not escape their gaze. Either the orc displeased the others, or Eywn got in a lucky kill. Bofur's gaze frantically scanned the surrounding clearing for a sign of her body, fearful that she had been killed for such a bold move. Thus far, he had seen nothing but her possessions being sorted by several cackling orcs. The leader was standing by his mount with a look of glee as he stood close to the flames. The others were moving around the house, as if waiting for something. It wasn't long before the dwarves and Gandalf realized that what they were waiting for wasn't the rest of the orcs to gather, but for something to come from the house. Bofur picked up on it first.

"Eywn's inside…she's inside the house." That surged the dwarves to move forward but Gandalf drew them back.

"We need to devise a plan, draw the orcs away from the house so we can get close enough to get her out of there," Gandalf said, looking to Thorin, "Who can ride the fastest?"

Kili stepped forward, "I'll draw them off…make them circle the place a few times,"

Nori stepped forward too, "I'll help with that."

Thorin nodded and turned to Dwalin, "we'll lead the charge against the orcs who linger, with Bifur, Oin, Gloin and Bombur. Gandalf, you Bofur, Ori, and Fili try to find a way in…"

The dwarves, with their assignments in mind, took to the clearing with a force that brought pride to the line of Durin.

Eywn's voice was nearly gone when the cellar door collapsed from the flames, the burning overturned table falling with it. She tried to scream as the fiery wood landed near her position in the cellar, but all she got was a choking cry. She traversed through the burning rubbish, feeling the flames spreading down into her hiding place. She had to risk escape if possible. She found her way to the stairs. It was utterly dark and the roaring flames filled her with sense of dread. Smoke filled her lungs and she sunk low to the ground, trying to move forward. Why her house hadn't completely collapsed on itself yet was beyond her. The fact that the house was wood made her wonder if the slow burn of the flames was possible. She didn't waste time wondering why the roof was only caving in now, staying low to the ground. She moved towards the back door, but the smoke made it impossible to see inches in front of her.

She hit the wall several times and ignored the burning sensation her hands were experiencing as she reached across the flaming floor. Lifting her apron to cover her mouth, she crawled across the floor using her knees. The sound of wood cracking above stopped her and she rolled in time to avoid a burning chuck of roof from hitting her on the head. She was not expecting the ones next to it to fall. A flash of pain shot up her body and she felt herself being pinned to the floor. She didn't know if any noise came out, but she couldn't stop herself from screaming, letting smoke enter her lungs. She tried to push forward, but the burning wood was too heavy. She pulled, tugging at the hot planks of the floor. She couldn't turn to push the wood off her and she couldn't move. Slamming her fist into the floor, she let out a sob. Twisting her body she kept trying to escape. The combination of heat and pain stifled her will to fight the flames. She was exhausted. Her limbs flailed less, her head rested against the heated wood; she was prepared for whatever came.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~Eylanan


	11. The Rescue

Chapter 11 The Rescue

Kili and Nori brought their ponies into a full sprint into the small clearing, drawing the attention of the orcs. Several snarled and turned away from the house. Kili sent a few arrows their way, two hitting a single orc. The death of one of their comrades sent the orcs into a rage; several took the bait and pursued the two fleeing dwarves.

The lead orc roared for several to remain. His eyes shifted towards where the two dwarves had entered the clearing. The human scum had lied. A cold and calculating stare went across the wall of trees as he waited for the remainder to arrive. Reports had come in that there were a great host of dwarves traveling through the wild. These two would not be so far from their precious dwellings in the dark caverns of a mountain unless they had a purpose. Turning, he spied the two dwarves making short work of their pursuers.

_Scum_, he thought, and spat into the ground. Then, he heard the sound he was waiting for. Turning, he found himself dodging a dwarven blade. The lead attacker yelled in fury as he hacked at the lead orc. Taking up his weapon, the lead orc swung hard at the dwarven warrior. The dwarf was accompanied by several others, some attacking the lead orc, others moving around to intercept orc stragglers around the house. The first dwarf, with long dark hair, moved to disarm the lead orc by using his sword to hack at the sword in the orc's grasp. They were equals in strength, but the orc had the upper hand for the sheer reason that he was not plagued with worry for the fate of the girl in the burning house.

Thorin swiped at the orc, sending his weight into the swing. The orc stumbled back, but cackled as he parried the blow with a lightning fast block.

"Dwarven-scum. I knew the human had lied…it's a shame…she would've been delicious," the orc smirked as Thorin, quickly accompanied by Dwalin and Bifur, lunged forward at the mention of Eywn.

Bofur and Fili found their way into the flames through a small window in the living room. That was the only place where the flames were not as wild. Bofur helped Fili down and the two sunk to the ground. Gandalf was using whatever powers he possessed to send the flames onwards from the outside, but on the inside, the inferno was sweltering, almost unbearable. They had devised that if Eywn were still inside, it would be near the cellar. It was the only place she could hide from the orcs prior to the fire and the best option when faced with the flames. The only disadvantage was that she would be trapped if anything collapsed onto the door in the floorboards, not to mention the fact that the flames would eventually spread and trap her all the same.

They crawled across the ground. Bofur took the lead and pushed any burning debris out of their path. Fili had to pull him back when a bit of roof fell inches from his face. They crawled around the burning rubbish and felt their way towards the living space where the cellar was. Bofur knew they were almost there, but a hard surface blocked their path. A large chunk of roof had fallen and made it so they would have to go the long way towards the cellar.

Crawling along its edge, he felt for when the wood would end and soon came to that point. As he made to cross, his knee pressed down onto something that was not wood. He almost mistook it for a fallen rope, but the slim, bony feel made him stop. He backed into Fili's face and reached for what his knee had pressed against. The design was unmistakably a human hand. Turning back to Fili, he pointed towards the burning ceiling planks. He went to the opposite side and Fili took the side he was already on, they pushed and shoved until the planks gave way to topple onto Bofur's side. Dodging the flames, he reached further and found a wrist reaching out. He grabbed a hold of it, expecting her to return the grab. When she didn't, panic filled his mind and he started pulling her towards the two dwarves. Fili got a hold of her other hand and pulled her out from the remaining debris.

Making their way back to the point of entry, Fili saw the flames explode in that part of the house. He turned to Bofur, gesturing towards the back door. They crawled, guiding Eywn between them towards the door. The fire outside the back door was vicious, but Gandalf should've been working on lessening the flames there since it was the closest escape point from the cellar. Keeping Eywn's head down, they crawled faster towards what hopefully be a way to escape. Once they reached the door, the wall next to them collapsed and light issued into the room. Fili and Bofur looked at each other for a moment before braving the chance that they might be caught by a fire on the porch. Lifting Eywn's arms over their shoulders they crouched towards the gap in the wall. Light pierced their gaze and the little oxygen that remained in the area engulfed by flames was a godsend to their tortured lungs. Ori was waiting by the burning porch. At the sight of them, he began to push aside burning planks and cleared a path for them. The two dwarves, on the verge of collapse, rushed forward, thankful that Ori made their path far less strenuous than it could've been. Their hearts wrenched as they stepped over Avel's curled corpse. Bofur held onto Eywn tighter.

What surprised them most were the charred bodies of two orcs that also lay on the back porch. Fili looked over to Bofur and they both looked down at Eywn's unconscious form. The bodies were too burned to tell if she had been the one to end them, but they knew those two creatures hadn't willingly leapt into the flames so either Eywn got in two more kills before being captured by the orcs, or something strange was going on. Bypassing the corpses, Fili and Bofur were relieved to see Ori lunging headlong into the inferno to meet them halfway across the porch. Ori took Eywn's arm from Fili, putting most of her weight on his shoulder. Bofur guided the group the rest of the way, holding Fili's hand with the other. Ori kicked one of the killed off orcs out of their path.

Once they cleared the porch and were beyond the demolished garden, Bofur and Ori set Eywn to the ground before collapsing to their knees. Fili had fallen behind a few feet back, his lungs taking in as much air as possible. His head was woozy, eyesight dizzy, and he really wanted to lie in the grass for an eternity. He crawled over to where the other dwarves were collecting. The majority of orcs had been drawn off by Kili and Nori and eventually taken down by Dwalin and Thorin. The orcs that remained were picked off by the remainder of the dwarves, who now were all huddling around the collapsed Bofur, Fili, Ori, and Eywn. Gandalf was rushing back to them, a bucket of water in his hand. Oin went into healer mode and turned Eywn onto her side, patting her back to try and get her lungs to expel the smoke and ash that had filled them. Turning her onto her back, he breathed into her mouth, trying to get a response. The other dwarves watched helplessly as Oin continued to elicit a response from Eywn. Bombur and Bifur were helping Bofur and Kili was helping Fili but the rest had nothing to do but watch as Eywn continued to lie unresponsive.

After a minute of working, Oin gave a strangled cry when he felt chokes wrack Eywn's body. She began to cough loudly, her body expelling the infected poison of smoke and greedily drinking in the elixir of oxygen. Taking in ragged gasps, Eywn came to her senses and opened her eyes. They stung from being assaulted with ash and flames, but she needed to keep them open. She needed to drink in the sunlight. Why was she outside? Had the orcs gotten to her?

Trying to scream, she sat upright in a mad attempt to move away from whoever had pulled her from the flames. Her voice croaked in a strangled cry that did not sound like her own. She felt someone grab her shoulder and she tried to swat it away. Voices filled her ears, but they seemed distant. Her eyes fell upon the flaming remains of her home and she lunged forward.

"No!" she heard her voice cry. It sounded alien to her, as if another had replaced her voice with theirs.

Her hands scrambled across the ash-covered grass, trying to reach her home. Hands grabbed her, not roughly, but firm. She began to sob uncontrollably. Someone pulled her into a tight embrace; the comforting feel of the hold made her sink into it, tears stinging her eyes and burning the exterior of her cheeks. Her eyes looked to the one holding her and saw it was Bofur, his face and clothes were covered in ash and his breathing was just as ragged as hers. She felt others placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she didn't try to see who it was. She looked at the burning remains of her home. Why did this happen for a second time?

Tears fell from her eyes as she took in the sight. Bofur's form began to rock her back and forth. She had once again lost everything.

Her eyes traveled over to the pile of blankets and she saw the cloak still sitting there under a thick winter blanket. Letting loose a guttural cry, she tried to reach for the surviving reminder of her friendship with the caravan. Bofur, fearful that she would run back to her house, held firm around her arms, rocking her more gently and whispering soothing words. They did nothing to appease her as she kept reaching for the cloak. Bifur noticed and went towards the pile. Sifting through the blankets, he lifted the cloak and registered it held value to Eywn as she squirmed in Bofur's hold to reach the cloak. Bringing it over to her, he wrapped it over her collapsed frame in Bofur's arms and patted her on the shoulder. The tension ebbed and her eyes betrayed the retreat she was making back into the confines of her mind.

Watching the spectacle from afar, Thorin knew they couldn't stay for much longer. The orcs who had been waiting here were still expecting more to join them. The look of anguish on Eywn's face reminded him of the look he saw on so many of his people when Erebor was taken. He leaned over to where Gandalf was kneeling and grabbed the wizard's shoulder; Gandalf seemed to be thinking the same thing as he.

"We need to move…Gloin, Dwalin, Nori, fetch the ponies; Ori and Bombur, see what supplies you can collect from those piles; Oin, see what you can do for Eywn" Thorin ordered, standing to see if any orcs still lingered. They were in an extremely vulnerable position; Thorin hated to think of what would happen if they encountered another pack of orcs on their journey back. Straining to hear the sound of travelers through the forest, he didn't like that the fire still raged, though not as strong as it had before; the wizard had done his part in quelling the flames enough to where it wouldn't spread. But the noise it still emitted blocked out any other sound with the howling flames. Extremely vulnerable indeed.

"What about the flames?" Kili asked, "They could spread to the forest if they don't die soon."

"They'll die down eventually, laddie; those flames won't survive beyond the porch." Gloin called back.

Not wanting to argue with the one who held their tinder boxes, Kili returned his focus on Fili, who still gasped for precious oxygen.

Oin moved to Bofur and Eywn. Bofur looked to him and nodded. Releasing his hold on the young woman, Bofur now helped her sit up. Eywn looked in a daze from Bofur to Oin and back to her house.

"She was trapped under wooden planks when we got to her, Oin," Bofur told the healer. Oin nodded, placed a cool wet strip of cloak on her forehead in effort to cool her head.

"She might have internal damage, depending. Did she respond when you pulled her from the planks?" Bofur shook his head.

"Not that we could tell. The lass didn't move at all…I was afraid she was gone before we even got her outta there."

"Are you injured anywhere, Eywn?" Oin asked, looking for any tell-tale signs of injury. He feared internal damage, judging by what Bofur had said, but he wanted to hear from her first if there was something bothering her.

Eywn turned to him, meeting his gaze. "Avel…Avel is dead." She shook her head and leaned into Bofur. Oin knew he wouldn't get anything coherent out of her so he chose to inspect her himself. Feeling the muscles in her calves, ankles, and then thighs, he felt nothing out of place. Pressing a hand to her stomach, he felt for any bulging abnormalities that might suggest internal damage; there were none. Feeling her arms, hands, and shoulders, he sensed nothing popping out of place. He went to the curvature of her neck and felt the spine down her back, hoping to not find anything twisted or pushed away from its original position. Feeling her face, she had nothing broken, the back of her head, while covered with ash and debris, there were no signs of blood. Apart from the trauma of almost being burned alive and obvious bruising that would occur, she would be fine; Oin was relieved.

"What's the verdict, doc?" Bofur asked, a grim smile tugging at his beard.

"She'll be alright. I'm afraid any damage done was mental. Eywn is fortunate in the fact that her body wasn't hurt too terribly, but her mind will be reliving this moment for a long time"

Bofur let out a breath of relief. He looked to the young woman he had pulled from the flames and hugged her tighter. Her long hair had been burned up to near her chin; her face was scratched as well as her hands, from crawling through burning debris. Her skirt hung in tatters, burn marks covered the cloth and revealed ash-covered skin in places. He was pleased that Bifur managed to cover most of the damage with that cloak, but he knew it remained beneath the folds of forest green. He hummed softly while waiting for the rest to return. As the ponies were brought forward, Bifur and Bofur helped Eywn find her footing. She seemed compliant to whatever movement they asked, but she still relied on their support. Bifur placed the cloak around her neck, fastening it so it would not fall off.

Eywn was helped onto Ori's pony; seeing as the two were the lightest, they would be the best pair to ride together.

"Don't let her fall, Ori" Oin warned, "She's not injured, but her mind is very vulnerable right now. A hit to the head could do far worse than any fire."

Ori nodded, holding onto her tightly. Oin shifted the cloak so it surrounded Eywn's front, to quell the coldness he knew would settle into her system. Thorin and several others took to the front, leaving Ori with Eywn in the middle. Bofur rode directly behind Ori, keeping his gaze on the woman, rather than the path in front of him. They rode quickly away from the burning house, back towards the group. It took less time than their original departure from the house but not nearly as quick as their swift return. Eywn did little in that time except for stare ahead of her. Her eyes were glazed over, leaning back into Ori's tight hold.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~Eylanan


	12. A Short Reprieve

Chapter 12 A Short Reprieve

Once they returned to the waiting members of their group, Eywn had fallen into a state that seemed to resemble sleep. Balin was the first to react to their return and his eyes went wide from the state of Fili, Bofur, and their newest companion, Eywn.

"Thorin, what happened?" he asked, helping Bofur remove Eywn from the saddle. Bofur helped her to the ground and let her lean into him. Ori joined Bofur, pouring some water from his canteen onto a cloth to try and wipe away the layer of grime.

Thorin dismounted his pony and went over to the gathering group around Bofur, Ori, and Eywn.

"The orcs burned her house and tried to burn her as well…Bofur and Fili got her out; her pet didn't survive."

"Is she…"Bilbo began to ask, his voice catching before he could add 'dead'.

"No…just in shock. She'll be fine in time," Oin began to explain. He checked her again, making sure her breath wasn't too shallow. Gandalf seemed to distance himself from the group, watching them from the outskirts of the circle. Only Bilbo seemed to catch the look of grief in his eyes.

"She managed to kill three of those creatures before almost being burned alive," Gandalf murmured, her sword hanging at his hip. He had found it near one of the deceased orcs and decided taking it for her would be best. She would need it before the end of their journey. "Her aim was true, if not an expert swing." The dwarves either didn't notice his comment, or chose to ignore it. The fact that she had to fight at all plagued their thoughts.

"I guess we have a new member of the company, then" Balin said, his faced pulled into a grim smile.

Bilbo and Dori were horrified and their gaze shifted back to the now homeless Eywn.

"We still have sunlight and I suggest we take advantage of it," Thorin said, his voice harsh and angry, "we need a safer location before we can make camp."

The others agreed and began to ride onwards towards the East. No one spoke, except to warn the others of a dangerous spot on the road. Their gaze kept returning to Eywn, who remained unresponsive during their entire day's ride. She would occasionally awaken and begin to cough more poison-filled smoke out of her lungs, but that was all she was capable of doing. The dwarves would involuntarily turn their heads back to her, hoping she would return to her senses and fill in the blanks that were obviously missing. The dwarves were in for no such luck.

Dusk began to settle and the dwarves had traveled far from the burning remains of the home. The black smoke slowly disappeared from view, but they knew it was there. Once they settled into camp, Oin was reprieved from his normal duties to look after Eywn, Fili, and Bofur, who were all still unsettled by the flames.

While Kili and Balin tended to Fili, helping pluck splinters and remove debris from his hair, their gaze turned to Dori and Ori who was helping Oin tend to Eywn. Bofur begrudgingly separated himself from Eywn to be tended to by Bifur and Nori. Bombur had offered to help, but he was needed to prepare a meal for the group. Bofur's gaze rarely left Eywn's unmoving form and he winced as Oin and Dori had to remove the outer layer of her clothes to get a better look at her back.

There were bruises and cuts where the roofing had fallen onto her. There was also a thin white line that ran down the length of her back…an old scar from long ago. Oin ignored this, but put in a mental note to inquire about its origin later. Ori held her steady as Dori handed Oin salve and bandages. Oin glanced over to Dori, who seemed to hesitate; he too had seen the long scar. Oin shook his head and Dori's lips tightened, nodding.

"Her hair will have to be cut," Oin said, wrinkling his nose at the lingering smell of burnt hair, "she won't be happy, but there's nothing else we can do."

Dori handed him the knife in his pack and he began to cut as even as possible. The burnt parts of Eywn's hair were cut away, leaving her with a short bob around her chin. Dori ran a wet cloth through the remaining hair to try and remove the soot and debris that lingered. Content with that, Oin had Ori move to sit her up from behind so he could look at her front. Taking the cloth from Dori, he wiped her face and arms free of the soot and ash. Underneath a heavy layer of the grime, they saw the cuts that had long since scabbed over. Several were still fresh and needed cleaned out. He took a clean rag and dipped it in some antiseptic salve from his bag. Wrapping a rather large cut on the top part of her wrist, Oin seemed content with his work and removed his outer cloak. Folding it, he handed it to Dori, having him place it on the ground where her head would lay. Helping Ori steady her, the other two laid her head on the folded cloak. Oin sat, leaning back on his hands. All there was to do now was waiting for her to wake up. After being prodded and poked by Bifur and Nori, Bofur went to Eywn's side. Ori sat next to him, his face betraying a weariness that all the dwarves felt. Bofur felt Bifur's hand rest on his shoulder as they watched her sleep. None of the dwarves knew this, but this wasn't the first time Eywn had been pulled from the flames; her face betrayed the torment still embedded in her psyche.

"We should rest…get an early start in the morning." Thorin said from his place near Dwalin and Gandalf. Bilbo had watched the dwarves' ministrations for those who had been in the flames, unsure of how he could help. Several times he made to move towards them, but resigned to looking after the ponies he so despised. He wasn't keen on such a job, but seeing as Fili was being aided by Kili and they were the two who normally took that job, he felt it was the only way to contribute. Gloin helped Bombur with preparing the meal and distributing it to everyone. Gloin set a bowl next to Eywn, unsure of whether or not she would wake soon. The dwarves ate in subdued silence. There was no singing this night. Everyone was exhausted and worried for the young woman they had now adopted into their company. The dwarves huddled around each other, not daring to light a fire with the fear of an orc pack filling their hearts with dread.

"Thorin…what are we going to do with Eywn?" Balin always liked to ask the hard questions. The question itself was fairly simple, but the implications made it complicated. Truth be told, during the whole day's ride, Thorin had been thinking of what to do with Eywn. Should Eywn remain in this unconscious state, their quest would be severely hampered, but what of the time she woke? She would be disoriented, displaced, and distressed by the events that transpired. They would have to deal with the trauma that followed. She had been in a horrid state when she woke up at the house and he couldn't imagine what was going to occur after she regained her senses.

"I don't know…"Thorin finally said after a few minutes of silence. "With the orc packs roaming the wild, leaving her before we reach a safe settlement is not an option; however, we can't let this halt our mission entirely."

"Imladris isn't too far away, we could stop there and give her the option of remaining with the elves…"Gandalf began, but was halted by the harsh look in Thorin's eyes.

"There are many settlements that don't include elves."

"And without my help you won't find any of them." Gandalf replied sternly.

"Let's wait until she wakes up; she can decide what she wants then." Gloin suggested, noting the tension raging in the silence.

"How long do you think that will be, Oin?" Thorin asked, returning his bowl to Gloin's waiting hand.

"That is entirely up to Eywn at this point," Oin replied, placing a hand on her forehead, "her mind is still recovering from the stress."

Bofur's gaze traveled down to her sleeping face. He saw the tautness around her eyes and mouth, as if she were halfway between a memory and a nightmare. It didn't become her, he decided, and wished her eyes would awaken and be filled with the mirth he had seen during their dance together. All he could do at this point was watch as the torment settled in; he hated that he could do no more than offer a blanket to keep her warm. It was a start, but one that he intended upon adding to once he knew what more she needed. He wanted to keep her safe, and safe was where he would keep her, Aule allowing.

"Should she not wake up before tomorrow morning, we are going to keep moving anyway. If Ori doesn't mind having her in the saddle with him for another day's travel," Thorin decided, standing to move back to his bed roll.

Ori jumped at being addressed by Thorin. "Of course, no problem, it'll be alright," he squeaked. Nori placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's rest…Bilbo, Balin, take first watch." Thorin said. He took one final look over to the young woman and wondered what on Middle Earth he had done by going back for her. The torment of her mind alone would be difficult to handle, much less though than the fact that she was a woman. A woman was not meant for travels such as theirs and he had no intention of halting his quest for the sake of her needs. Perhaps they should leave her with the elves. Though, it was hardly a plausible option for Thorin, seeing as he saw a reprieve with the elves as a great insult to the line of Durin. The option was far too horrid to consider for more than a few seconds. Resigning to decide her fate with her aware of it being decided, he settled on his bed roll and fell asleep exhausted and troubled.

Even though she had her own cloak, several dwarves gave up their cloaks so Eywn would stay warm. Such an act made them more inclined to embrace each other in effort to remain warm. They tried not to huddle around her, but it seemed only natural. The dwarves were exhausted and closed in around Eywn so they formed a ring. Bilbo found himself sitting on the outskirts of this dwarven ring, but he found it altogether amusing to behold.

The dwarves were a peculiar race. Their fierce loyalty towards one another surprised him, but their compassion dumbfounded the poor hobbit. He never would've suspected that they would return to save the young woman now at the center of their sleeping circle. Dwarves had always been known for their brutish, uncouth behavior; to see them risk their lives for one other than their kin was astonishing. The hobbit had a great deal to learn about his dwarvish companions and he feared it would take far longer than expected to fully understand their ways. Resigning to the bitter cold, he sat through the first watch, with his gaze on the sleeping young woman.

Balin occasionally looked to where the hobbit was staring, and gave a knowing nod. He too cared for the young woman, but he could see the confusion knitted in the hobbit's face. The lad didn't expect their kindness, and it was understandable. Dwarves were proud of their reputation as rough and tough ale-gulpers. It didn't help when some would forgo their real behavior and kindness for a more personified view of dwarves. Balin knew it couldn't be helped, but he knew the only person's behavior he could strive to change was his own in such matters. It was a huge reason why he took such a liking to Mr. Baggins. He knew his reputation as a warrior, but now that he was older, he preferred a far less violent opinion of himself. Dwalin teased him for it, but that didn't stop the old warrior from trying. The hobbit was a kind soul and he wanted to show the lad that not all dwarves were callous creatures; they had the capacity for kindness, but chose to show it only to those who truly deserved it. Settling against a protruding rock, he took every sound that echoed through the night with caution. Any whisper in the cool air could be an attack waiting to happen.

No attack came; no battle ensued. The silence was deafening for all who sat watch and was enough to set them all on edge. An orc pack roaming the wilds was enough to instill a sentiment of fear in each of their hearts. All slept restlessly save for one. Eywn slept through the night soundly, only turning a few times. Bofur counted. Even though he was exhausted, he didn't take his eyes off her the entire night.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~Eylanan


	13. A Test of Loyalty

I've reworked this chapter a hundred times. It's one of those crucial chapters that constantly refuse to give me ease of mind. I think I finally got it though. Thankfully!

Enjoy!

Chapter 11 A Test of Loyalty

Eywn did not dream of anything that night. It was complete darkness. She wanted to remain in the blackness for as long as it would allow her, but she felt herself being pulled towards the light. As she rose towards it, she felt her eyes grow heavy, as if opening them would require much more than a few muscle movements. Resigning to the fact that she should take in whatever sight was before her, she opened her eyes and took in the sight of a periwinkle sky. It was almost dawn. She could hear several figures moving around her, as if making preparations. Eywn wondered when she had joined the caravan. Why was she with them and where was Avel? He would always sleep by her side….Avel….her house….

Eywn sat up and numerous hoods falling off her torso. Her eyes scanned the entire region for a glimpse of her house. No such sight came. All she saw were the company of dwarves either resting in a ring around her or moving to load the ponies with supplies. It came back to her in that moment. The orcs, the burning house, the collapsed roof. Avel's final whine…

She couldn't suppress a strangled cry. It filled her lungs and came out as a shriek. The dwarves were instantly up and around her. Bofur, who had been resting the closest, took her into his arms and tried to calm her, but it was to no avail. Tears began to fall again, and they were just as acidic as last time. She pushed out of his arms and made to stand up but her legs wobbled and she fell to her knees. Curling into herself, she rested her head in her hands, just above her knees, screaming into her legs. Amidst the roaring din of frustration pounding in her head, she could faintly hear the dwarves mutter in hushed, worried tones. Several moved closer to provide comfort and support, but none touched her as she cried into her hands and skirt.

She didn't think; all she did was cry. Cry for Avel, for the caravan, for her parents, for her sisters, her brother, her house. Everything she had was once again lost to her. Most of her breath came out in short shrieks that seemed to alarm the dwarves.

Fili tried to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away.

"Fire….why is it always fire" they could hear her wheeze between sobs. The dwarves looked around at each other. None knew what to do. She was too far gone from her senses to be reasoned with, but they had to get her to be quiet. The orc pack could be in the region.

"You need to calm down," a soft voice whispered in her ear; it was comforting but also firm, "we're still being hunted…I know…I know it hurts, but once we're in the clear, you can cry all you want." Eywn wanted to believe the voice, but she didn't want to wait to scream her protests.

As reason returned, she knew it was necessary if the group wanted to survive. Looking up for the first time, face burning from crying, she saw the group of dwarves staring at her. Their eyes were filled with sympathy. Aware of how childish she must look crying in front of this group of warriors, she collected herself, wiping tears and taking deep breaths. Eywn closed her eyes again and pulled her emotions inward. Hiccupping, she tried to stop her shoulders from shaking.

"Sorry…" she whispered, "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright, lass. We've all shed our fair share of tears." Balin said, approaching her. He placed a hand on the back of her head. She sighed and let two silent tears fall. Balin placed his hand on her shoulder before settling down next to her. Looking to her left, Eywn saw the one who had pulled her out of her crying state. It had been Gandalf.

"I am so sorry, my dear," the look of grief written in his face made Eywn's heart wrench. She let him wrap an arm around her shoulder for a moment before settling back.

"I…I…where did you come from?" her voice was hoarse from being engulfed in smoke and from screaming, "you were long gone when the orcs came." She looked for an answer in their eyes.

"We came back when we heard the wargs riding towards your house." Dwalin answered, he was the only one whose eyes didn't hold any sympathy; they maintained their severe stare.

"They said they were looking for dwarves…"Eywn's words sent a haunting chill through each of the dwarves, "they said they were going to draw you back…I tried to tell them I knew nothing of dwarves but they didn't believe me" Eywn felt her shoulders shudder. She buried her face in her hands and fought the urge to lose control of her countenance again. She was grateful none of the dwarves moved to embrace her. Some moved closer, others murmured "Lass," but none seemed capable of responding to the horrific reality that they had brought this upon Eywn. Thorin felt his breath constrict. He had done this. He was responsible. He chose to take Eywn's hospitality and leave their scent for the orcs to find.

"We had no idea orcs were on our trail," he vocalized, not trying to use it as an excuse. He was trying to understand, "I had no idea…"

"I made Thorin turn around," Gandalf spoke, his voice betraying the sorrow he felt, "I wanted to be sure you were safe."

Eywn betrayed a look of panic. "Were any of you hurt? Why would you….I…I don't understand… Why did you come back? They could've gotten you."

"It was not with great loss to us. We all survived unscathed, though I think Fili and Bofur won't be running into any fires anytime soon," Gandalf said, chuckling.

"What do you mean by…" she was initially puzzled by Gandalf's words. As soon as she began to ask though, it dawned on her what happened. She never made it out of the flames. She had passed into shadow before she even got close to the door. Someone pulled her out of the fire. Two someones.

Eywn turned to Bofur, who hadn't tried to touch her since she pushed him away. He was close to Fili, who put on a charming smile.

"Thank you…" she couldn't think of anything else to say. Bofur smiled and welcomed her into his arms when she jumped towards him. Burying herself into his grasp, she could still smell the smoke on his clothes. Not caring that the other dwarves were nearby, Eywn held onto Bofur longer than the average hug. She didn't want to let go. Bofur held on just as tight. He rubbed her back as she melded into his embrace.

"I'm just glad you're safe, Lady Eywn" She released him from her grasp and turned to Fili, engulfing him in the same tight hug. Fili patted her on the back. She turned to the remainder of the dwarves. "Thank you, everyone. I don't deserve…" she felt someone clap a hand over her mouth before she could finish her sentence.

"You do deserve it…don't even," Kili said from behind, chuckling at her sudden squirminess. He immediately let go when she bit the palm of his hand. Giving him a playful shove, she smiled. He gave her a small hug in response.

"Now all that remains is to decide what to do with you," Thorin said, standing. He looked down at her. His eyes blazed with something Eywn couldn't make out, but his countenance seemed to be out of sorts. Eywn turned her gaze down, inadvertently, as if fearful of what he would say. She felt someone place a hand on her shoulder; it was Kili, who hadn't moved away yet.

"I regret that your involvement in our journey resulted in the destruction of your home and the loss of your pet," Thorin said, trying to regain the diplomatic aura he naturally adopted, "I would like to offer you a place amongst us until such a time you choose to leave us," Eywn's eyes went wide.

"You would…you would let me stay with you?" she looked at the finality in his gaze. He let loose a small smile and nodded.

Eywn wanted to be happy. She wanted to be relieved that someone else offered her solace. However, his offer sounded far too much like pity. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not sure if I can accept that so easily," she saw Thorin's smile return to a tight frown.

"Why is that?"

"My home, my dog, my entire way of life was uprooted because a pack of orcs thought you and your group passed through my house on whatever journey you've chosen to go on. I am grateful for your efforts to save my life…I really am…but this offer solves nothing."

"How so?" Thorin's voice turned into the harsh growl the others were familiar with.

"There is nowhere for me to go…no one I can return to. They killed my friends…they killed Ros…Marigold…all those children," her voice caught at the mention of the children. Many she had seen from their infancy; now they would never grow old. "I don't see how I can... I'd be nothing more than a burden."

There were outcries by some of the dwarves for her making such an assessment; she stopped them, her eyes blazing, "I won't be a source of unspoken frustration if I can't keep up…I refuse to be a burden."

"We became your burden…it is only right that you join us. We can protect you," Thorin replied, knowing that he couldn't afford to have another liability; however, his sense of honor dictated that he provide whatever comfort he could to this woman. She had suffered much for their sake and now placed upon them a responsibility.

"Where would you take me? I didn't ask where you were going out of respect for your privacy…I doubt you would've told me anyway…"

"We weren't planning on doing so, but given the circumstances, we were going to offer you the chance to go with us or stay at the next settlement we visit," his gaze turned sharply to Gandalf, "If you chose to join us…" Thorin began before being interrupted.

"How do I…I mean…this is the furthest east I've ever been…how do I know where I should go? Beyond the wilderness, I have no worth…beyond the trees and mountains, I have no place in the world...both of my families are dead and I'll never bear ch…."Her voice stopped short and the dwarves saw her entire body freeze, "I'll never bear the pain lightly…" they knew it wasn't what she meant to say, but whatever she meant to say, she couldn't. Not now.

"Which is why I invite you to join us…the road we travel will be long and not without hardship; our destination is no different. However, due to your involvement thus far, I can see no safe avenue for you to take beyond the one we travel. Our errand is one of secrecy and great importance, relaying any information to you binds you to us and we will keep you safe for however long you choose to remain with us…but"

"but the day I decide to leave?" Eywn asked, her hands rising in confusion, "What of then? Will you tie me to the saddle of your pony and keep me so I won't run off to tell? Not that I have much to tell anyway; I've already proven I will risk death to …"

"It is a kindness I am trying to repay…besides, you know they would've killed you either way" Thorin's eyes began to blaze; the lass was trying his patience.

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid," Eywn resisted the urge to yell, "At least I have the sense to be honest about the gravity of my situation. I am nothing but an item of duty to you, which I refuse to resign myself to!"

She found her footing, against the protests of Oin and Bofur and moved away from the group. Her eyes were blazing with anger, she stepped around stilled dwarves.

"Where are you going?" Thorin barked, moving to follow her.

"Leaving, Master Dwarf!" she yelled without turning around. She was to the last blanket when Gandalf stopped her. Taking her arm, he turned her around to face him.

"Let me go, Gandalf," she said with a low voice.

"No," the stubbornness of wizards. She yanked her arm, but his grip was sound.

"Let me go!" she yelled, pulling her arm in the hopes that he would let go. No such luck.

"You will not run away from this. It is foolish to do so."

"I won't be a burden on any other person. Let me go!" tears burned in her eyes and she looked up to the grey wizard.

"Your assumption of being a burden holds no grounds," his eyes reflected a hint of pity, "You are only stupid if you leave now. Please reconsider Thorin's offer."

"What purpose would I serve them? I belong nowhere! I've accepted charity to no avail in my life and am tired of being seen as a problem to solve! Now, once more: Let me go!" Eywn yanked at her arm, this time she broke free of Gandalf's grip and began to walk away. Her footfalls grew faster, but it looked more like hobbling. Her legs were sore from being pinned under the rubble the day before. Her breath became ragged and her feet slowed. Before she could stop herself, her knees gave way.

Damn.

Crumpling to the soft grass, Eywn curled her legs and back to relieve the pain and pressure that had been her parting gift from the orcs. Tears stung in her eyes. She heard footfalls rushing towards her and Eywn moved to crawl away.

"Don't be foolish," she heard Thorin's voice mutter. He moved to help her to her feet.

"I can't," she groaned, "I won't…I am a burden…" she shuffled her feet.

"Let the lass go…if she wants to die out in the wilds, let her," Dwalin called from behind. The distinct sound of a slap could be heard as well as Dwalin's angry objection. Thorin ignored the proceedings going on in the background and focused his attention on the stubborn young woman he was supporting.

"The only way you will be a burden is if you continue to protest. We will not abandon you to the wilds…to the orcs…unless your intent is to go inform them of our whereabouts," Thorin said, his eyebrows furrowing.

Eywn's gaze shot up, a look of horror on her face.

"I would never," she pushed out of his hold. "Why did you even bother with yesterday? Why did you stay at my house if you had this doubt?"

Thorin's lips tightened into an angry frown. His mind had been toying with the notion that she was in fact a spy. Gandalf's decision to tell her of his return left a wide range of options available to reconsider. Her predicament -living in isolation in the wilderness-was enough to make him uneasy. She had ample opportunity to tell the orcs of Gandalf's return and then there was the short time after the dwarves had retired to sleep when she slipped out of the house. He had awoken when he felt the floorboards creak. Following her, he had seen her sit on the porch for the entire time, but that disproved nothing. Then there was the matter of the slain orcs. Growing up with Dis was enough to believe in the might of a woman, but the situation they arrived upon seemed almost improbable. Three slain orcs, her belongings-most of value-strewn across the lawn. The pyre technique had failed to summon more orcs than it had-Thorin was not convinced.

Torn from his thoughts by Eywn's hard glare, he looked away and towards the rising sun. Several dwarves began to protest, as if seeing the skepticism of Eywn's fidelity written on his face.

"She wouldn't"

"Uncle, you don't know…"

"She's only a child…"

Thorin growled, grabbed the hilt of his sword and swiped in a wide circle, parallel to the ground. The others cried out as the blade moved towards Eywn, but none could move fast enough. Eywn gave a soft intake of break, stock still as she took in the dull pain that amassed above her belly button. Grabbing her stomach, she kneeled forward and fell to her knees. Thorin turned, his eyes settling on her crouched form. He moved towards her, his eyes blazing as he lifted his sword to her chin.

"You missed, Master Oakenshield; my heart is here," she pointed towards the place above her breast.

"Enough of this!" Gandalf yelled, moving to stand in front of Thorin, "I shall not allow this nonsense to continue!"

"Gandalf, he wants to be sure I am honest," Eywn replied, her eyes out of focus, "Before I rejoin my family, Master Oakenshield, know this:" her eyes shifted upwards to meet Thorin's, "I would never serve those who slaughter for sport. I would rather perish a thousand times over. Reunite me with my father, my brother, my sisters and my mother; it would be a kindness," Eywn let go of her stomach and spread her arms so Thorin had a wider range to swing at. The presence of blood on her hands did not go unnoticed. The dwarves wished they could find the words but all were stunned at her boldness. They had only seen such honor in the face of death by their fellow dwarves. Men, they knew, were cowards and elves…well elves were on a whole other spectrum.

Thorin too was shocked, but he masked it well. He had no intention of killing her-just to see her true heart; it only bore the pain of evils done upon her. Raising his sword, he watched as she neither flinched nor cried. She stared at him, waiting for the sword.

He swung down; the other dwarves found their voices, calling for him to stop. The tip of the sword pierced the soft earth, mere inches from Eywn's knees. Eywn didn't move, though. Her eyes were filled with perplexity.

"We've dwelt on this for far too long. Rise, let Oin tend to you and then we must move on." Thorin re-sheathed his sword and returned to his bedroll. Eywn dropped her arms, collapsing from the weight of what she thought would be her impending death. Her body started to shake from the shock of it all. She heard the sounds of many feet rushing forward.

"Eywn, can you hear me, child?" Gandalf asked, looking directly in her eyes. She saw Oin, Gloin and Bofur next to him, their eyes filled with concern. Oin looked to the gap between the fabric of her skirt that revealed her stomach.

He saw it was an extremely shallow wound-just barely breaking the skin- but it was yet another she had received in so short a time. Thorin knew what he was doing when he gave her this cut. It wouldn't cause any permanent damage, but it would be discomforting to bear untreated.

"Speak, lass," Gloin implored, "You behaved admirably," he raised a hand to her face. Eywn finally blinked, taking in a deep breath that became a short gasp. The wound's opening brushed against itself. Folding into herself, she shuddered, her shaking now uncontrollable. Gandalf pushed Gloin's hand away from her face and took her chin into both hands, forcing her to look up. Muttering indecipherable words, his voice seemed to settle the storm within and her shaking ceased. She leaned forward and Oin steadied her.

Bofur watched on, wondering in amazement at how she had kept her resolve under such strain. He didn't think himself neither a hero nor a villain, but he admitted to being, in some degree, a coward-how someone so young could face death when he himself would've given into the fear was beyond him. He saw blood drying on her torso.

"Leave it," she whispered, at last. Bofur's eyes looked to her face as she spoke to Oin. "It's fine."

Oin slapped the hand that tried to push his away.

"I know it's yours, lass. I want to bind it so it doesn't reopen." Gloin sighed at his brother's inability to hear correctly. Eywn didn't want to be coddled further, but let him this last time.

After Oin wrapped her stomach, he and Gloin helped her to her feet. Stumbling a bit, she was relieved when they steadied her.

"Thank you," she whispered, letting them guide her past the others, who had watched the proceedings, and settle down at her blankets.

"So, you're joining us, then?" Fili asked, hopefully.

Eywn let out a huff of air and sighed. The stubbornness of dwarves indeed. Why shouldn't she go with them? They've proven to be kind and caring; they saved her life, tended her wounds, and protected her from harm. But their presence in her house caused yet another uprooting from home. Holding her forehead in her right hand, she weighed her options. They would let her travel with them to whatever forsaken location, protect her along the way, and provide a new chance at life. She had to offer the same chance she did when the caravan offered to help her years ago….though what happened when that failed? She lost everything. Again.

"Are you alright, lass?" Oin asked, wary at how she would respond.

Eywn realized the rest of the dwarves were relying on what she would say in these next few moments. Honestly, she wasn't sure how to answer. It was still too soon, but she had to decide.

"No…I won't be, not for a long while," she saw their faces fall, "…but, I know I'm in good hands, so long as you'll keep me."

Their faces smiled again. Thorin seemed most relieved by her answer. He had ignored the looks of disgruntlement by the others as they had watched Oin and Gloin look after Eywn.

"Well, if you and Bombur keep us fed, I'm certain we'll keep you until long after we reach the halls of Erebor," Dori answered, earning a round of laughter. The tension seemed to be ebbing away.

"I'm happy to oblige. Where is Erebor?" She realized then that they finally revealed their destination: Erebor. She had never heard of it before, but at her mentioning it, the dwarves seemed to still.

"Our home, Lady Eywn," Gloin said, looking to the others with a wary eye.

"She might as well know, seeing as she's chosen to accompany us," Balin added, trying to diffuse the fear in the eyes of the others. "Our quest leads us to Erebor, over the Misty Mountains."

Eywn's eyes went wide as saucers. _Over_ the Misty Mountains? Only the truly daring ventured near the Misty Mountains, let alone over them.

"What lies in the Halls of Erebor?" She asked, remembering Dori refer to them. Whatever tension Balin had succeeded in diffusing only returned in definitive discomfort in the eyes of the dwarves.

"Smaug the Terrible, a dragon of the north; the great calamity of our age," Bofur answered, waving his arms like a madman as if to get the breadth of Smaug's terribleness. They all expected Eywn to faint onsite like Master Baggins had but to her credit, she had seen horrors the poor hobbit wouldn't imagine. The descriptors did little but to ignite whatever Tookish inclinations she may harbor as a non-hobbit.

"A dragon," she breathed.

"Don't worry, we'll keep his maiden-eating snout away from you," Bofur added, taking her amazement for fear.

"No, it's not that…I've heard so many stories. I've always wondered if they were real," her excitement incited a look of sorrow on the dwarves.

"Regretfully, we know with heartbreaking certainty that they are real," Balin said, remembering the heat of the flames singe his beard. Eywn's eyes went downcast.

"This Smaug; he's the reason you've lost so many...?" She instantly understood them the way they understood her. She was now privy to how much alike she was to these dwarves.

"We try not to dwell on it too much, lady Eywn," Balin said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Besides, we have a chance now, a mighty good chance," Bofur said, with a reassuring smile. Eywn nodded.

"I'll do what I can to help; everyone deserves a chance to bring back what was lost." None of them knew it, but the dwarves in that moment entered into a covenant with Eywn. Whether they wanted to or not, both parties would fight for the other, knowing that all their hope rested in the restoration of things lost.

Once attention was drawn to getting ready for departure, Eywn went to pull a strand of hair between her fingers and froze when it touched nothing; her neck had seemed far colder than what she was used to. Reaching for the back of her head, she felt the short hairs hanging barely below her ears. It had been cut short.

"I'm afraid to ask…" she said, her voice low.

"We had to…most of it had been burned," Oin explained as the rest of the dwarves found themselves quite occupied with other things, fearful of a woman's wrath. Hair cutting was a rare occurrence for dwarves and one that signified a lowering of status. A female dwarf would bay for the blood of the one who cut her hair.

Eywn dragged her fingers through her now short locks and sighed heavily.

"It could be worse," she shook her head and rubbed her temple. A headache was beginning to form as she took in the remainder of her haggard appearance. From what she could see, her clothes were ruined beyond repair, though they functioned for the time being.

"Could I borrow a knife?" Oin nudged Nori as he passed and the star-headed dwarf tossed her one hidden in his boot. She caught it and began cutting the scorched bits away from her sleeves and they now fell to her elbows.

"We saw your handiwork with a blade…" Oin said, as she handled the knife with the same expertise that she knew from wielding a sword.

"The orcs?" she asked, stopping her work on the sleeves.

"Did you kill them?" he asked, as Gandalf approached them, her sword in his grasp.

"I…I did…they were trying to get in…" Eywn said, her gazing shifting downwards.

"It was a true cut…right in the heart, with one of them" Gandalf mused, "You have skill with a blade," this drew the attention of some of the dwarves. Most of them had seen the fallen orcs, but few figured it had been Eywn.

"My father taught me…before he died," Eywn said, her fingers playing with a fraying bit of her sleeve.

"A woman wielding a sword…Middle Earth just got a whole lot more dangerous," Kili muttered, earning a few weak chuckles, Eywn's laugh loudest of them all. She then started cutting at the burned lower edges of her skirt. Her boots were now visible as she had to cut several inches off the bottom. Propriety be damned in the wild. Eywn knew there was little she could do for the scorched jerkin and chose to leave it on due to the fact that only her night shift resided underneath. Propriety may be damned, but she was not about to expose that portion of her body to any dwarf. She felt someone nudge her while she inspected the rest of her clothing. Turning, she saw Ori standing behind her, something knitted clutched in his hand.

"This might fit you." She took the knitted mess into her hands and unfolded it. It was much like her jerkin but smaller.

"I don't want to take it away from you," she said, "I'll manage with my own. Thank you though," she started to hand it back, but Ori shook his head and waved a hand.

"My mum made me two before I left…she made this one too big for me….thinking I would bulk up traveling with warriors. Please, take it."

She hesitated, "Lass, I'd take him up on the offer," Balin called from his pony.

Unable to suppress a smile at the young dwarf's anxious face, Eywn nodded. "Thank you, I'll be happy to wear it." She began to size up how she could wear it. It was long enough for a jerkin, but he was right. She would be able to fit. She unbuttoned the scorched remains of her jerkin and set it on the ground by her side. Pulling the new tunic over her head, she was pleased that there was some give so it wasn't constricting against her chest. Tucking the ends under her belt, she felt satisfied that it worked out after all.

"Well, I certainly feel dwarvish," she mumbled, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Ye are a head too tall to be a dwarf, but I'd settle for a really short human," Bofur said as he passed her. He had left her so she could get herself settled, but now seeing her finally content with her attire, as content as she could be, he sat next to her. Placing a hand around her shoulder, he patted her arm.

"My entire family was tall. My brother always called me the dwarf of the family," Eywn said, her face blushing.

"Well, ye will be a giant amongst us…save for Master Gandalf, o' course," he replied, smiling. "I'm happy you will be joining us. I didn't like the idea of leaving you on your own in the first place," he said, turning to look around at the group.

"A part of me wished I had never met Gandalf…" Eywn looked down at her hands, "I wish none of this had happened…maybe I'd still be with Avel, still be…"

"Alone…which none of us were happy with when we left yesterday morning" Bofur interrupted, looking in her eyes.

"I am meant to be alone, Bofur. I only bring trouble and pain to those who try to help me," Eywn looked away and moved to stand up.

Bofur held her arm, "Lass, you aren't a trouble. We've all had our fair share of hardships. It's how we handle them after the fact that's the most important," he saw in her eyes that she wasn't convinced and sighed. "You're free to think what you want...but I'd suggest…" Eywn's shoulders slumped. The weight of what had happened would not be lifted so easily. Bofur recognized this and pulled her to her feet. "Come on lass, we best be moving on." He led her over to the ponies, stopping only to grab her cloak. Fastening it around her shoulders, he held her shoulders at arm's length and smiled.

"Ye look like one of us already..."he said, pleased to see her lips formed a small smile. It was all he would get from her and it suited him just fine for the time being. Taking her hand, he continued to guide her through the group of dwarves, who had all begun to reclaim their ponies. Eywn complied with climbing into Ori's pony, finding the young dwarf blush slightly as she settled behind him.

"Are you feeling alright, Miss?" he asked, looking behind. Eywn nodded, her eyes betrayed the tiredness she felt.

"If you need to sleep, I'll make sure you don't fall. I managed pretty well yesterday," Ori stammered. Eywn smiled and thanked him. Leaning against his shoulder, she didn't sleep, but she found some comfort in using the dwarf's shoulder as a head rest. She ignored the jests made by the other dwarves at Ori's expense and took the time to sort through the raging storm of thought that plagued her mind.

Hope you enjoyed that bit of confrontation between Eywn and Thorin. Gave me a great bit of trouble to work through.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~ Eylanan


	14. Kindred Spirits

Let's get this show on the road (Crickee get the bags; let's move it heifer). I haven't run away screaming just yet. I hit a wall with this next segment seeing as it begins the journey portion of the story and wanted to start it off properly. To be honest, I've stretched this part of the journey out even more because of the pacing and realistically how I feel the story should progress. It wouldn't have made sense had I not changed the pacing of things. Plus, I wanted to give Bilbo and Eywn a lovely scene together and tell a story at the expense of poor, lovable Dori.

For now, it's time for this company of dwarves plus wizard, hobbit, and human to continue forth towards the Lonely Mountain. What terrors await? A better question: what terrors won't be awaiting them?

Enjoy!

Chapter 12 Kindred Spirits

It was the second night since Eywn joined the Company of Thorin Oakenshield. She had fallen in line with the company's pace without argument as they traveled through the Lone Lands. There was the ever present concern of the orcs looking for them, which brought about its own degree of tension into the mix; Gandalf seemed far less cheerful at that knowledge and could be seen muttering under breath about the ramifications revolving around this. He seemed only to embitter himself further. Why the orcs would be looking for them was beyond his knowledge for no one other than a precious few knew their movements and most of them were in his presence. He figured the riddle would unravel itself as time pressed on, but Gandalf seemed far shorter with the stubbornness of dwarves than he had been. Keeping to himself, the wizard rarely engaged in conversation with the others during their travels, dismissing any questions with thinly veiled contempt.

Eywn was no better; her wounds were still healing and her mind was currently in a state of disillusionment. She rarely spoke and her gaze was constantly downcast. The dwarves didn't disturb her more than necessary out of respect for her predicament. They knew better than to try and force unwanted interactions; however, most concluded that it would need to end at some point. They would let her be the decider of that point though, knowing that all grieved in their own fashion. The dwarves themselves were all too familiar with the need for grief. She would heal by her own devices and they would be ready to provide what comfort they could when asked.

As Ori's riding companion, she acted more like the luggage than an actual rider. Slumped forward, she held onto Ori's waist with a loose grip. The young dwarf chatted with her, being the main speaker overall. He would tell her about his life growing up; occasionally Dori would shush him when he said something particularly private, but for the most part, Ori was too happy sharing his stories to really care. Eywn seemed responsive to his stories, asking questions at the appropriate times and managing a weak chuckle when the story had a humorous conclusion. The other dwarves joined in at times, happy to reminisce in her presence.

Ori's most recent tale of yore was told at the expense of his eldest brother, lovingly entitled: Dori and the Terrifying Rabbit.

"Dori's always been worried about me," Ori began, looking meaningfully up at Dori-who had rode on ahead when Nori finally intervened and essentially told his older brother to 'piss off.' "He's always been afraid that something would happen to me. I am grateful for it, but it does get bothersome after a while. There was this one time when we were walking through the woods, though, that it went to the extreme, and quite humorously, I would say, ended in a rabbit eating its brother's foot." Nori, who rode beside Ori, began to laugh out loud, remembering this story from one of the times he visited and Ori sought to entertain him with details of what the two did every day since they last saw Nori.

"There wasn't much by way of entertainment in the dwarven settlements, well, not much that Dori would approve taking me to. Only time I saw a wrestling match was when Fili, Kili, Gimli and I snuck out to see a fight that would be behind the tavern. Instead, Dori wanted me to become familiar with the forests and the plants and animals. We would spend his days off of managing the family business exploring, sketching unfamiliar flowers and then taking them to Oin so he could identify them for me. We never ventured too far though, because Dori was superstitious and afraid of getting lost. He thought there were wolves lurking behind every tree, but he knew I loved taking walks with him so he rarely said no. But when we did walk, he would carry his bolas and a knife. I didn't find out until later, but for a majority of the day he would rub a small good luck charm in his hand." Dori, riding up ahead, tried to ignore Ori's words, knowing it would incite even more embarrassment on his part to try and stop him at this point.

"He let me create my slingshot so I also had something to protect myself with. One particular day, we were walking through one of the familiar paths a ways from Ered Luin. I was running up ahead, knowing there was a patch of wild strawberries that would be in bloom by this time in the season. I wanted to draw them right when they were perfect and ripe. Dori kept calling me back, saying that the strawberries could wait a few extra moments. Not interested in waiting, I ran ahead, but never disappeared from Dori's view. He didn't like when I did that. The strawberry patch came into view, but there was none ripe enough yet. They were all still greenish-yellow. The patch stretched out into the forest, off the path a ways so I went in search of the perfect strawberry. Dori only saw me run off the path and panicked. He began to yell my name, shouting that we would go back if I didn't get back on the path and wait.

"I was walking through the patch, taking mind to not step on the young berries. Dori finally caught up to where the strawberry patch began, but I didn't hear him because he was still on the path. He called for me again and it startled me so much that I fell into the patch, my foot slipping on the dewy grass. He sprinted through the patch, crushing strawberries and calling my name, looking wild with worry. I wasn't hurt, but the fall alerted me to something else. There was something behind one of the bushes on the edge of the strawberry patch. I was on my stomach, trying to see underneath the bush when Dori finally got to me and all but collapsed on the ground, prodding me to see where I was hurt. I tried to shush him but a rustle in the leaves is what stopped him. Standing, armed with the bolas, he moved between me and the bushes. I realized what the animal was before he did and before I could call out to him, he moved forward only to fall backwards as a rabbit came bolting out of the bush." Nori was hunched over in his saddle, blinking back tears at the humorous image. Several dwarves were chuckling and Dori's face was as red as his tunic.

"He had begun to yell before charging the bushes, but it turned into a shriek of terror as he landed in the strawberries." Even Eywn couldn't suppress a grin at Ori's words. "I tried to help right him, but he froze as the rabbit hopped up to us, staring us down. The rabbit grabbed something that was resting near one of Dori's now spilt pockets and took off running. I only caught a glimpse of it, but Dori seemed furious that he lost it and made us walk back home, too sour to stay in the 'confounded forest of terrible beasts.'"

"And what did the rabbit take, might I ask brother?" Nori called, knowing full well what Dori would say. The eldest brother grumbled something that none could hear.

"I couldn't hear you," Ori said, his voice as innocent as he could muster. He didn't mean to tease Dori, but it was far funnier to hear him say it than Ori just telling everyone.

"My lucky rabbit's foot," Dori said louder, but no less bitter. All sanity broke loose as the dwarves began to howl with laughter at Dori's expense, with Thorin himself joining in. Eywn smiled, a small part of her mind being receptive to the humor.

Stopping for the night, the company hastily made camp. The dwarves bustled around, familiar with their jobs and left Eywn, Bilbo and Gandalf without much to do. Bilbo made sure to offer his assistance, particularly to Bombur with the meal, because Bilbo still felt like an outsider. None of the dwarves wanted to have Eywn help so any offer she made was shot down. There was meekness to her voice that seemed to instill a sense of pity, which wasn't her intention. She hated how horrible she sounded, but her will was shot for the time being. There was a desire to break through the morose wall built up. She could feel it in her heart, but the wall was strong, too strong. It could only be chipped away slowly. Ori was doing a wonderful job at chipping at that wall with his stories, but it would take much more than rabbits and strawberries to achieve what needed to happen.

Eywn watched as the dwarves moved quickly to prepare a meal, care for the ponies and build a fire. Bofur's main job seemed to be keeping Bombur from consuming the whole meal; she found Bifur had no set task save for looking after his cousins. He hovered mostly and handed Bombur things. It warmed her heart to see Bombur happily take everything Bifur offered and use it in some capacity.

Fili and Kili were caring for the ponies, making a show of how fast they could brush down, feed, and water each horse. Dwalin was away from camp, scouting for any enemy camps nearby; Balin was sitting on a fallen log, at Dwalin's demand for Balin to rest. Balin's look of disgruntlement at this brotherly request was not hidden at all. Dori was chastising Ori about the story the scribe told Eywn earlier and Nori was resting against a nearby tree, chuckling at his brothers. Thorin separated himself from the others, going out with Dwalin to scout the area. Soon, Oin and Gloin had a roaring fire blazing and the dwarves all settled around the campfire, beginning a time of rest at twilight.

Eywn settled down a ways from the roaring fire. It was a habit she adopted from the first night when she sat in front of the fire and nearly recoiled at the familiar wave of heat. The dwarves didn't notice how her face paled, how her breath quickened, and her shoulders shuddered. She masked her blatant fear well and managed to continue to mask it on this night. Only Bilbo took notice of her clear separation from the others. Going to sit by her, Bilbo found himself surprisingly at ease by their mutual silence. There was nothing he really could say and nothing she had to say. They were in a shared state of understanding. What really surprised him was that Eywn's hand ghosted over his. Her eyes never left the flames and he knew that she was in the throes of a memory. Taking her hand, he watched the flames flicker underneath Bombur's cooking pot. He gave her hand a small squeeze as if to say _it'll be alright_.

She never reacted though; her hand didn't tighten in his, she didn't lean onto him or speak. How he knew she was grateful for the touch was a soft sigh that left her. Looking up, Bilbo saw tears forming in her eyes. It didn't suit her, he thought. He placed his other hand over hers, patting it softly. There was nothing he could say. He had seen hobbit lasses cry before and remembered fussing over them, trying to share jokes or ease their sadness. However, this was a different tear being shed. There was pure grief that Bilbo had only experienced himself at the loss of his family. The death of his parents was heartbreaking; he remembered how in those days the flighty Tookishness was taken away and replaced with the stiff Baggins mannerisms. There had been no one to stop that progression. At least Eywn wouldn't be alone in this time of grief. He would be sure of that.

Bifur interrupted his musings by bringing the two their bowls of dinner. Bilbo took his, releasing Eywn's hand for the first time. Bifur prodded Eywn with his free hand but she didn't seem to notice. Hoping to avoid an awkward incident, Bilbo took hers from Bifur, nodding with understanding. Bifur didn't leave though; kneeling to fill Eywn's eye line, Bifur cocked his head to the side like a curious puppy. Eywn blinked, taking notice of her watcher. The dwarf raised a hand to her cheek, continuing to look intently in her eyes. Eywn's gaze turned downwards to stare at her feet. It was as if she were ashamed of what was happening to her; Bifur moved his hand to her chin and lifted her face slowly to return her gaze. She looked back at him and then over to Bilbo briefly. The hobbit stared in silence, unsure of what to do. Eywn met Bifur's gaze and what she saw seemed to calm the storm. Beyond the gruff appearance, there was pure kindness and love that exuded from his eyes. Although he was outwardly a rough and haggard figure, he had a softness that only those who took the time and care to see were privy to. Bifur pulled a small flower from one of his pockets and held it out to her. He always seemed to have flowers to offer. Eywn reached up and took it. The poor thing was slightly crumpled, but the deep shade of purple hid most of the imperfections. Smiling, Bifur grabbed the bowl from Bilbo and held it out to her. She took that also.

"Thank you" her voice was barely audible, but it was enough for Bifur. He moved on and returned to take the next few bowls out to the company. Bilbo dug into his food, spooning up more food into his mouth than he had time to chew and swallow. It took Eywn much more time to get herself to eat than she would later be willing to admit. Taking small bites of the hot food, Eywn chewed slowly, not truly tasting the meal. There were flavors, but she didn't take notice to see if she cared for them. Her movements were mechanical in nature, but by the end, Bilbo was pleased to see that she had eaten everything in the bowl. Grabbing hers, he took their dirty dishes to Ori, who took to washing the dishes for the night.

"How's Eywn?" Ori asked in hushed tones.

"Still sad, poor dear," Bilbo replied, looking back briefly to see Eywn still sitting in the same spot. Settling next to Ori, he grabs a rag to help get the washing done faster. "I wish there was something I could do."

"I think we all do; Dori doesn't talk much about Erebor, but I can see the same look he often got when I asked questions, I can see it in Eywn's eyes." Ori's eyes went downcast when Dori himself looked over questioningly at the mention of his name.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Bilbo mused, scrubbing the stew from the bottom of a bowl.

Gandalf went to sit by Eywn in Bilbo's absence. Eywn noticed his presence immediately and stiffened.

"You've certainly found yourself in quite the adventure, my dear Eywn." Gandalf said after a moment.

Eywn didn't respond, nor did she turn to face him. Her gaze seemed to harden at Gandalf's words.

"You'll have quite the tale to tell once this is all over."

Eywn's lips pressed together tighter, her eyes hard set on the flames. Embittered, Gandalf harrumphed.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you; you had seemed to be made of far sterner stuff when we first met."

Eywn turned, her eyes matching the flames that they had previously perceived.

"A wizard doubting his choices, how strange," she said in a musing tone. There was some bite to her voice, but it faltered as quickly as it came.

"I never doubt my choices; I merely wanted to bewilder you into talking, my dear." Gandalf's eyes twinkled as he spoke. Her expression was filled with that bewilderment, much to Gandalf's amusement.

"You, Eywn, are far stronger than you give yourself credit for. Lesser beings would've done far worse than you have so far."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"You doubt the word of a wizard?" Gandalf's eyes twinkled again, knowing full well that he was succeeding in that which he set out to accomplish: getting Eywn to talk.

"It's not the word of a wizard I doubt, just the words themselves." Eywn's eyes went downcast.

"There is no wrong in experiencing grief; there is wrong in letting it consume you wholly. You are in good company as far as grief," Gandalf's eyes went from dwarf to dwarf. "They want to help you."

"I know, but I don't know how to let them," Eywn whispered, her voice wavering.

"They are waiting to know what they can do, as am I. You dictate your own progress, but let those who want to help you do so." Gandalf spoke no more. Settling with his pipe, he leaned onto the rock, muttering softly between puffs. Eywn sat with him, looking down at her hands.

He was right, she couldn't deny it. However, he seemed to expect her to recover far sooner than she intended. She remembered how long it took her to speak with Ros and Marigold about what had happened all those years ago, but this time was different. She had lost everything with the death of her family; all the progress she made, the security of isolation, the sense of purpose-she would get none of it back so easily. It reminded her of watching Ronin and her father spar. While he was a fair fighter, her father would often show how dishonest men would fight to be victorious; how they would kick or stab in the vulnerable moments of regaining balance. She felt as though she were in the midst of regaining balance and then having a blow push her back down to the dirt.

She decided that she did not care for it in the slightest.

Darkness crept across the sky and the Company as a whole seemed to still in the looming nightfall. Eywn was still sitting with Gandalf, resting against a rock. Most of the Company was smoking pipes by the time the firelight was the only source of illumination. Several went to sleep right away, but others sat around the fire, humming a tune softly. Bilbo was walking back to his place around the fire when he heard a lone howl cry out in the night air. Everyone froze, knowing full well the danger that such a noise all but guaranteed.

"What was that?" Bilbo already had an inkling based on their earlier encounter with the orcs, but he didn't want to believe it. He didn't know much about them, but their name alone set the hair on his feet on edge.

"Orcs," Kili whispered.

"Orcs?" Bilbo parroted in disbelief.

"Throat-cutters," Fili added, "The Lone Lands will be crawling with them."

"You don't hear them coming, just lots of screams and lots of blood," Kili added.

Kili was unable to suppress a grin in Fili's direction as they knew Bilbo was inexperienced with the orcs. However, their glee was short-lived as they saw Eywn stand from across the fire and start to leave the campsite.

"Eywn, wait," Kili stammered, realizing his mistake. He moved to stand, but was stopped by Fili, who sat with closed eyes. He was immediately ashamed of himself and his brother. How childish were they? He watched as Eywn sat down by the cliff near their campsite and didn't turn around. Every dwarf awake turned to look at the brothers, their expressions a mix of disappointment and anger. Fili took in every glance in grim humility. Kili slapped his forehead, muttering_ stupid, stupid_ under his breath. Both knew and feared what came next.

"You think an orc attack is a laughing matter?" Thorin asked sharply.

"No, we didn't mean anything by it" Fili replied in a quiet voice.

"No you didn't." Thorin's voice hit them like the bite of a winter's storm. "You know nothing of the world," Thorin stormed over to where Eywn sat. He didn't sit, but stood behind her, looking out over the expanse of the sky. Fili buried his head in his hands, trying to think of ways to atone for Kili's and his mistake.

"Don't mind him laddie, Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." Balin said; his voice had sharpness to it that the lads winced at, but it was also kindly, knowing that they didn't mean the harm they caused.

"After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten there first."

Several dwarves looked up, some remembering being told about this story or had been there.

Balin continued, remembering the events of that battle well.

"Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King," Balin's voice had grown dark, in the throes of a memory. Eywn turned, hearing Thorin's soft intake of breath. Her eyes were glittering with tears initially from Fili and Kili's joke. Now, they came at the pain Thorin masked so well by remembering the terrible loss of that day.

"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief; he went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we didn't know. We were leaderless; defeat and death were upon us." The story seemed to only get worse and Eywn couldn't hide the sorrow she felt. Tears were spilling freely from her face as she sobbed, feeling that blatant degree of loss. Thorin saw this, but didn't move, knowing full well he might lose his composure.

"That is when, I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor wrenched, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield."

Balin stopped for a moment, his eyes filled with pride, "Azog the Defiler learned that day that the Line of Durin would not be so easily broken." He remembered the clash of steel; of war hammer taking root in the skulls of many orcs; the dwarves had fought valiantly in that battle.

"Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feasts, no song that night. For our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then: there is one that I could follow; there is one I could call king."

Thorin turned to face his Company, who had all stood in reverence. They all knew the story; they all heard in some capacity the tales of how Thorin earned the title "Oakenshield." Even Eywn turned back, watching the dwarf with bleary eyes. His silence was unnerving, but what was there to say in that moment? What Balin had said was a fact that none could deny; not even Thorin himself would, even in humility, mitigate the impact that battle had for the dwarven race. What would've been a disaster turned into a reminder of the honor of the dwarven race.

"What of the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asked, breaking the silence. "What happened to him?

"The filth perished of his wounds long ago." Thorin rumbled, walking past the Company with a sense of bitter pleasure at this assumption. Eywn turned to watch him leave, but the look in Balin's eye caught her attention. He seemed conflicted by something, meeting Gandalf's gaze with a hesitant sense of knowing. Eywn realized then, that Azog was not as dead as Thorin was lead to believe. As the tension ebbed, Eywn saw the gazes of the dwarves timidly shift towards her. They all had seen the tears, heard her sobbing, and knew her heart was wrenched with grief. Only Bofur and Ori were brave enough to approach her. Eywn turned, looking back over the expanse of the Lone Lands below her, unashamed of her tears. She sensed that Bofur and Ori were kneeling on either side of her. Neither spoke. The sound of the crackling fire behind them filled the air above Eywn's soft sniffles.

A hand rested on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Ori looking out to the Lone Lands also, his hand unmoving. Bofur followed suit. Eywn returned her gaze to the wilderness, taking their comfort without argument. She heard shuffling behind her and soon felt two more hands rest upon her shoulders. Turning, she saw Fili and Kili sitting next to Bofur and Ori, their eyes were bright, but humility seeped through the smiling faces. They were sorry for their words and this was their apology. On that night, she accepted their apology by letting them help her through this moment. There would be many hundred moments more, but this one was far more important than any other for the simple fact that it was real and present. For a moment left untended made the next almost irreparable.

Far off, Balin placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder as the two watched the solemn proceedings. Loss and sorrow was universal; forgiveness and compassion was a choice.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings. ~Eylanan


	15. Deluge Dodging and Current Chasing

Chapter Fifteen: Deluge Dodging and Current Chasing

Rain. Rain. And more rain still. It was as if the sky was in a permanent state of tears. Despite it all, the Company of Thorin Oakenshield continued traveling, stopping only long enough for brief rests and to sleep at night. Everyone tried to ignore how bitter it made them all feel, but there was no getting around the repetition of their movements. Eywn got used to the routine of travel, rest, travel, sleep. She still barely spoke, to which the dwarves took no offense. For the time being, she was at the mercy of her own mind and only time would return her to her former self.

Unfortunately, Eywn seemed to personify the gloomy sky, but her dwarf companions weren't far behind in their mannerisms. They rode through the deluge, hoping that the sky would soon be done with its incessant downpour. Four straight days of traveling through rain and none had been properly dry during it all. Thankfully, dwarven cloaks were thick with furs and skins that aided in keeping some of the moisture from their skin. Eywn's cloak did fairly well in the rain, but granted she was still soaked completely through by the end of the day. Poor Bilbo had spent most of one day completely soaked before Dwalin offered him a spare hood of his; even Gandalf seemed slightly miffed at the sky's preference for rain. Any attempts to build a fire at night were shot down by Mother Nature's cruel soaking joke, leaving a bitter Oin and Gloin bickering long into the night. During the day, Ori tried to cheer up Eywn with stories he had read about when he was younger, but it was to no avail this time. Not even the other dwarves were in the mood for stories as they rode through gloom and grey.

As they traveled further east, deeper into the wilds of the world, they came across a river, which Gandalf identified as the Hoarwell, which branched south into the great Bruinen River. He knew of the safe bridge that would lead them across, but it was a day or so north from where they were. Afraid to lose sight of the roaring river, the Company traveled along the paths parallel to it. However, the rain caused the paths to be quite treacherous, not to mention muddy. Several ponies slipped. Thankfully none were injured, but it was enough with the constant presence of rain to keep everyone on edge.

Halfway through the trip north, the rain cleared, letting the sun shine through the tops of the trees. The ground was still muddy, but the warmth was a welcomed change. This, however, would soon become a recipe for disaster as several dwarves grew careless on the road. Fili and Kili, for example, became keen on seeing how much mud they could make their ponies kick up. None scolded them, for it was a relief to see some joviality after so much grumbling and bickering. The only one who seemed to be unaffected was Eywn. Her pattern of silence continued even with the shining sun.

They stopped for lunch once it seemed clear that the sunlight would hold for the rest of the day. As Bofur and Bombur passed out rations, Oin passed out herbs to stave off potential illness from traveling through the rain, and Gloin procured dry pipe weed for the eager pipes of the dwarves. Fili and Kili were attending to the ponies a little south of their position. It wasn't too close to the river, but it was close enough to where they could bring water to relieve the ponies of their thirst. Eywn helped them gather water, finding the need to be of some use to her companions. The three worked silently and quickly in order to have time to rest during their time off from traveling. Fili and Kili seemed to make a game of it, trying to see who could haul water the fastest. Eywn watched on with slight amusement as they rushed back and forth, passing her slow and steady pace several times. Though none of the dwarves saw it, it was one of the first times she had smiled in several days.

Clomping hoofs, neighing whinnies, a loud shout and a series of subsequent splashes filled the ears of the company. Fili's haggard cries from behind sent everyone looking back towards the river. Fili was clinging to a rock not far from shore; he was completely soaked through and sputtering wet hair out of his mouth as he kept his hold on the rock to avoid being swept away. Eywn rushed forward to grab him. She helped steady him as he stumbled across the hip-deep water, fighting a horrid current. The dwarves were waiting to help get both onto dry land and shouts for blankets filled the air.

However, once back on shore, Fili nearly plunged back into the river, his voice coming out in a strangled cry. When they looked in the direction he was, they saw what made Fili stare horror struck at the river. Kili, being pulled under water, was waving his arms around in a mad attempt to stay afloat. Before anyone could react, the dwarves and Gandalf saw Eywn sprinting back towards the river, being closest to the shore. It was a gut reaction. There was no hesitation or reconsidering in her mind; it was as if something clicked in her brain to come alive in that moment. In the weeks after, she'll never fully understand what possessed her to run headlong into the river after Kili, pulling the long tunic over her head, letting her skirt pool around her ankles, and pausing long enough to pull her boots off to leave her clothed in only a tan chemise and a pair of bloomers. She'll never comprehend why she had waded back towards the open water, ignoring the cries of the dwarves for her to stop. The only thing that will be coherently clear about the entire day was that she found herself push past an enormous barrier that had locked her within the confines of her mind after nearly dying yet another time. The fear of losing someone else overshadowed practicality or reason. She would save at least one person, or die in attempt.

She was instantly pulled by the same current that was drawing Kili under. Thankful she was a strong swimmer, per her father's years of instruction in aquatic survival. He had insisted his children learn the finer points of swimming when Eywn's eldest sister, Maywn, nearly drowned by trying to save a doll that had been thrown by Ronin into a pond. Eywn remembered that day vividly, despite only being only five, and how scared her papa had looked when he finally pulled the shivering eight year old from the depths of the grey waters. After that terrible day, all four siblings were taught to swim at the pond; once they were older, they learned how to survive being pulled by harsh currents. Only Ronin and Eywn had showed any skill in doing so, seeing as Maywn and Lywn refused to go near water that went over their heads. Young Eywn remembered seeing the lessons as a game- a game she was determined to beat Ronin at to prove she was actually better at something than he, which didn't happen often- but she never lost that look of fear that her father's eyes held. She also recalled how her brother had changed after that; gone were the days of pranks and jokes. Instead, he transformed into the protector Eywn saw on the night of his death.

The water was frigid, despite the summer season, and it had a bite that reminded her of a snowstorm from a few years ago that nearly left Avel and her to freeze to death. She ignored the numbing coldness, keeping her body in constant motion to temper any stiffness in her limbs; however, seeing as most of her time was spent trying not to be pulled under the water, it wasn't difficult. Eywn rode the current as quickly as possible, trying to close the gap between her and Kili while trying to stay above water. Kili's struggling form seemed to bob erratically under the water as if he were beginning to lose the fight. Pushing forward, Eywn almost reached him before Kili's strength gave way completely and he was pulled under the surface. Her heart clenched.

"Kili!" she cried, hoping for him to resurface ahead of her. When he didn't, Eywn did a foolish thing.

She dove under the water and let herself be pulled by the current. Tumbling down, Eywn's eyes spied fish soaring through the current. She was momentarily jealous that they could traverse the current far better, but her mind was immediately occupied by a heart-wrenching reality. She didn't see a dwarvish figure being pulled along. Trying to swim up towards the surface, Eywn found the current pulling her down towards the river bed. Knowing it would be the only way to get back to the surface, she let herself be pulled down until her feet skimmed the riverbed. Kicking off from that sturdy ground, Eywn found it easier to push herself upwards towards the surface. It seemed like an eternity, but her lungs were soon blessed with air. Gasping in a combination of oxygen and river water, Eywn looked around frantically to find Kili. A tuft of dark hair appeared in front of her. The river seemed calmer around here, but Eywn still swam like a frantic nut to reach him, calling out his name in the hopes that he would respond.

Eywn could see Kili's head and back bob up and down along the current, but his motions were not his own. They were the rivers. His unmoving form unsettled her for she knew his lack of movement could only mean he was unconscious. In an instant, he was pulled under, not by the current, but by the sheer fact that he was weighed down with heavy clothing and the inability to regain consciousness. Eywn plunged down into the depths to grab him before he sunk completely to the bottom.

Once he was finally within reach, Eywn wove her arms under his armpits to pull him close. Kicking up, Eywn struggled to surface with this heavy burden constantly pulling them further towards the river bed. In a desperate campaign for oxygen, Eywn surged upwards before being rewarded with a breath of air. Coughing out water, she couldn't help but letting out a relieved, albeit strained, laugh. She positioned herself to be under his body, her back facing the riverbed. She kicked her legs, trying to angle herself towards the shore-side they had originated on. Kili's weight tried to pull her down, but she kept kicking so they were constantly afloat and moving out of the current's path. Eywn's legs and arms felt like lead, but adrenaline coursing through her veins forbade her from succumbing to the fatigue. She was tempted to remove Kili's overcoat, which was the main perpetrator of the sinking attempt, but she knew he would need it long after their dip in the river.

"I got you Kili, I got you," she gasped between coughs, water still trying to escape from her lungs.

After what felt like years of kicking and angling, Eywn's feet found soft sand underneath. They were almost out of the center of the river. The current all but disappeared and the water was shallow enough for Eywn to stand. Pulling her knees under her, she kept a firm grip under Kili's arms and pressed his back to her chest. Moving backwards, it became increasingly difficult as buckets of water fell off of them. The piercing air made the numbness in Eywn's limbs harder to circumvent. Soon, she was able to fully stand since the water was only ankle deep. Kili's slumped form did not make the journey to the shore any easier. Finally, Eywn's feet felt soft dirt. Turning, she realized they had made it to shore. Unable to stop herself, Eywn collapsed to the ground with Kili's back on top of her. After her misadventure in the river, she was tempted to not move for a year from that spot on solid ground. The still-damp grass tickled her soaked skin and the far off sound of the river was soothing. Looking up to sky, she drank in the sunlight. It seemed to be a reward for the insanity she and the dwarf had undergone. A cloud was rolling in over the expanse of the sky and dampened the mood even more than the unexpected swim.

Kili's unmoving form though, jolted Eywn from her musings.

Ironically, I had this scenario lined up for much later in the story. However, upon rereading _The Hobbit_, like the proper literature enthusiast I am, I realized that the Fili and Kili almost drowning bit was before the Trolls and decided to make a few changes.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~ Eylanan


	16. Eyes of the Lost

Chapter 16: Eyes of the Lost

Rolling out from under Kili's still form, Eywn found her way to her hands and knees and examined the unconscious dwarf. His lips were blue and his chest was not moving. Placing her ear to his mouth, she realized he was also not breathing.

"Oh, no, Master Dwarf, you are not doing this…not on my watch." Taking a deep breath, Eywn pulled back the anxiety that was building in the confines of her mind. She didn't realize it, but her entire body was still shaking from being submerged in water. Her entire focus was on Kili. Turning him on his side, she patted his back before turning him back to punch his chest with both hands. Breathing into his mouth, Eywn's panic only grew as Kili did not respond. She continued the pattern; however, Kili remained unresponsive.

"You stubborn dwarf, breath!" she yelled, punching his chest a bit harder than she intended. Kili lurched up a few inches from the ground as water spurt from his mouth, his eyes flying open before immediately snapping shut as he collapsed to the ground. Eywn started at the sudden movement, but regained her composure when she heard him gasp for breath. Turning him on his side so he could expel the water from his lungs, Eywn rubbed circles on his back to encourage him to spit out whatever remained in his lungs. The poor dwarf curled into himself, clutching his stomach as he coughed out what seemed to be gallons of water.

When he finally finished, Kili looked up at Eywn's bedraggled face with confusion.

"Eywn?" Amidst the weariness, the perplexity on his face stood out. He had no idea the adventure that had just unfolded.

"You fell in the river…I almost lost you a few times…" Eywn stammered, her lips starting to chatter from being cold. The impact of rushing down a river was starting to hit her and she quickly became aware of the fact that she was still shaking. She placed a hand over her forehead, feeling a headache quickly approaching.

"Fili?" Eywn's heart softened at the dwarf's concern for his brother.

"He's safe. He managed to cling to a rock before the current could take him." The tension in Kili's shoulders seemed to ease in relief at this news. However, there was still a degree of apprehension in his eyes.

"The others?" Kili's voice croaked. Eywn's mind froze momentarily. Where were the others? How far down the river had they gone? Looking around, it seemed like the same forest, only a different shoreline; one that they had passed almost a half hour previously. At best, it could be over twenty minutes before help arrived.

"I was the only one quick enough…I'm sure they'll be here shortly," Eywn wished she believed her own words.

Kili began to shiver, curling up into himself again. Eywn lay next to him, wrapping her equally soaked arms around him. Kili froze at her touch. The look on his face indicated that few others had ever been in such close proximity to him. Rolling her eyes, Eywn held him tighter, damning propriety to a dark cavern in the depths of the world.

"Don't even go there, Master Dwarf; I jumped in a river for you so I'm not about to let you being cold ruin things," She pulled the soaked, heavy coat off of Kili and began to rub his arms quickly, hoping the friction would elicit some warmth. He sank into her hold, giving into the fatigue.

"Thanks," he mumbled. Eywn heard his breathing even out. Looking for any visible signs of injuries, Eywn hoped he wasn't suffering from a concussion. She hadn't done a good job thus far to check if he was hurt, having focused initially on keeping him warm. For all she knew, Kili had a serious injury that he was neglecting to tell her about. To her credit, she had yet to see any noticeable blood stains seeping through his clothing. It was her hope that Oin would arrive soon to take injury inventory. For now, she had to keep the young dwarf alert long enough for Oin to reach them.

"Kili, stay awake," her commanding voice shook him and he looked up at her, "Are you hurt?" she asked, softening her voice. She saw the pain growing in his eyes and felt horrible for making him stay awake, but it had to be done.

"No…my head aches a bit," Kili said meekly, "but it's nothing, a tree branch…a rock or something got me, I think. I didn't hit anything while I was in the water," he began, his words echoing the element of uncertainty that Eywn feared.

"Nothing you remember, that is. You could've hit something along the river bed and not realize it. The current pulled us under for a long time," Eywn sighed, tightening her hold, "You have to stay awake until Oin can get a proper look at you." Kili nodded in bitter agreement, molding into her embrace. Eywn only hoped the time would be short.

"M'mm sorry," Kili murmured into her arm. Eywn looked down at him and met his gaze.

"For what?"

"For what Fili and I said the other night. About orcs and raids…" Kili's voice was slightly slurred; the fatigue was talking for him "for hurting you…we forgo…we were stup…"

"You're already forgiven for that, Kili. You have nothing to apologize for." Eywn tightened her embrace so it felt more like a hug. Kili nodded, his eyes closed.

"Mhm okay," he mumbled, his head slumping to rest against her arm once again.

"Stay awake, or you might have to ask forgiveness for that," she warned. Kili's eyes popped open and saw she was smiling.

"Okay…" she wouldn't get much more from him verbally in this state.

As time pressed on, Eywn kept Kili awake with a story about a walking tree meeting his tree wife that she had heard from the traders. He seemed responsive enough, but every now and then she would be forced to rouse him. Kili didn't seem to be suffering from a concussion; he was only fatigued by the experience of almost drowning. Eywn guessed they had been on their own for maybe fifteen minutes. The sun had begun to dry their clothes and their shivering ceased with the friction Eywn made by rubbing Kili's arms and back.

A low growl filled Eywn's ears. Looking to the forest, she saw a pair of eyes watching her. Eywn stopped her ministrations and sat up. Urging Kili to stay low, she inched forward, hoping to catch a better glimpse at their observer.

Kili's senses seemed to return in that moment. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Wolf" she replied, hardly daring to breath. Eywn saw the eyes blink and inch forward. Her heart clenched momentarily as it growled again.

"It'll be fine…he'll move on," Kili whispered. As he moved to sit up, Eywn stopped him.

Grabbing a nearby stick, Eywn waited for the wolf to move again. It entered the small clearing by the shore, eying the two. Eywn held her breath as it paced along grass in front of them, watching with narrowed eyes. She flinched when the wolf stepped towards them. It took notice and snarled, causing to Eywn raise the stick defensively. The wolf charged forward. Screaming, Eywn blocked a jab from its mouth and it earned a mouthful of tree-branch. Kili tried to sit up, but his limbs would not coordinate. Eywn was flung onto her back from the weight of the wolf. Its front paws pressed down onto her torso, claws digging into her skin.

"Eywn!" Kili cried, trying to reach for her. Eywn's muscles protested holding the branch inches from her face. The wolf clamped down upon it, trying to claim the stick for himself. Shuddering, Eywn could hear Kili crying for her; her eyes blinked back tears of exhaustion. Her brain had no control over her movements and fell into survival mode. Her arms shook under the weight of the wolf and her entire body broke out into a cold sweat.

"STOP!" she screamed, despite knowing it would do no good.

Surprisingly, the wolf did stop, releasing his hold on the stick. Instead, he stood over her, staring at her with what could've been mistaken as a look of curiosity. Eywn's eyes grew wide as the wolf seemed to soften in front of her. How strange. Letting loose a low whine, the wolf licked her face. Stepping away from her, the wolf retreated back towards the forest, the sound of his departure as the only parting gift. Her breath came in sharp intakes as her mind reeled at what had happened. The way the wolf had softened its gaze when up close, it looked familiar. She couldn't immediately place where she had seen that expression before. However, it hit her like an arrow to the heart.

Avel. The wolf had Avel's eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat. Kili was trying to talk to her, but her focus remained on those eyes. Kili's hand found hers and he seemed to be trying to reassure her. All she could imagine was Avel's eyes staring at her. She knew it hadn't been Avel, but her mind couldn't help but contemplate the possibility that Avel was still looking out for her. But that was impossible, right? Before she could stop herself, Eywn let loose a short sob. As if on cue, they could hear the sound a herd of dwarves made when barreling through the trees. Hearing them shout her and Kili's names, Eywn rolled onto her side, leaning over Kili. Checking to see if he was alright, Eywn saw the relief in his eyes. It mirrored her expression. Neither spoke as they both digested the events that had just unfolded; Eywn seemed to deflate, her shoulders dipped and a puff of unreleased breath managed to escape. It was over. The shouts of the company grew louder and Eywn turned to see the group running towards them, Thorin in the lead. Rough hands shoved Eywn away from Kili, pushing her to the ground. She didn't move to stand; instead, she watched as the dwarves gathered around Kili, quickly filling up the small clearing. Oin was in healer mode, giving the drowned dwarf a few herbs to chew on.

"He's alright," she stammered, but found her voice small. No one noticed her chanting those words.

"He's alright"

"he's alright…"

Eywn found her footing and stumbled over to a tree to get out of the way.

"he's…al..."

Eywn collapsed against the bark, the sharp edges catching at her still damp clothes. Hanging her head, Eywn realized her breathing was becoming erratic. Her vision was going in and out of focus. Between the swim and the wolf with Avel's eyes, Eywn was utterly drained of all energy. Now that the others had returned, she allowed herself to give control back to Thorin and the others. They could care for Kili and make decisions about him. She felt her eyes grow heavy with forming tears as she saw the dwarves engage in a tenderness that she didn't know was possible. They were wrapping blankets and furs over his shivering form and whispering soothing words that none but Kili's ears could hear. The attention Kili was receiving from Thorin, Fili, Balin, Oin, and Dwalin was enough to put her over the edge and she was very nearly there as the tears spilled from her eyes.

Gentle hands gripped her shoulders. Looking forward, Eywn saw Bofur's horrified gaze staring at her. He seemed to be saying something, but she didn't hear him. Bilbo, Nori, Ori, Bifur, and Gloin soon came up behind Bofur, all saying something Eywn didn't take care to listen to. Her shaking limbs brought her to the reality that she was going into shock, which didn't look great from an observer's standpoint. It was no longer from the cold water, thought that was a contributor; this shuddering derived from the sheer panic of the last hour. Voices sounded muffled, images seemed to meld together in a clash of color and movement; Eywn could see her companions gathered around her but none were fully in focus. Despite the shivering and quaking, Eywn's focus on what the others were saying came back in bouts.

"…were yeh thinking, lass? We saw you go under and didn't see ye surface…and then we heard ye scream just now?" he seemed to be stammering. His image became clearer as she comprehended his words. Leaning forward, Eywn felt Bofur wrap his arms around her. He held her, rubbing circles onto her back like Eywn had done with Kili. It wasn't until she felt something wet hit her cheek did she notice Bofur too was crying. Eywn shuddered, suddenly feeling frozen. Why was he crying? How horrible did she look as she sat hunched against a tree? The other dwarves behind Bofur also became vivid. They were holding blankets and huddling close to see if they could help. Gloin moved forward and wrapped his blanket around her, wiping several strands of wet hair from her forehead.

"I was closest…I knew I could get to him before something bad happened," she said through chattering teeth, the chattering not coming from the cold water, but from simply her attempt to speak coherently. Bofur pulled off his hat and placed atop her head. Taking a blanket from Nori, he wrapped it around her. Bifur brought another blanket to wrap around her, giving a comforting pat on her shoulder.

"How did you get out of the river? That current is all but impossible to break," Gloin asked, looking over to the rushing river behind them.

"It wasn't easy…and Kili's coat and boots kept pulling us down," she said, moving her head away from Bofur's shoulder. Gandalf came to sit next to them, his eyes betraying the pride he had in her.

"Well done, Eywn," he was positively beaming, "Well done…I believe you will have two overly attached dwarves clinging to you for a long while," he gestured to Fili, who was embracing Kili. Thorin and Oin had removed most of the soaking clothing and now were wrapping the poor dwarf in blankets. Why hadn't she thought to do so? Maybe she too had hit her head somewhere down in the depths. She heard Kili recounting the story of how he supposedly met a bass down at the bottom of the river. Fili, who was still soaked from his excursion in the river, was rolling his eyes and holding his brother even tighter. Looking over to Eywn, his eyes were filled with gratitude. Her attention was suddenly drawn back to Bofur as he placed another blanket over her.

"….and Thorin looked angry enough to throw Gandalf into the river himself…." Bofur was saying. He hadn't stopped talking since Eywn's attention was drawn to Thorin and his nephews.

"That doesn't seem very wise of him…." Eywn responded, holding the blanket closer to her.

"Yer lips are turning blue, lass," Bofur observed, holding her blanket-covered shoulders at arm's length. Eywn's head lolled forward slightly. Perhaps the shivering was also coming from the coldness seeping into every pore after all.

"M'm tired…" she mumbled, the pain from past injuries was catching up with her. While they had been minor, to say the least, the bruising, cuts and scrapes were all exuding some form of pain after her time in the river. Bofur pulled her in close again, having her lean entirely onto him. The others became occupied with other things, hoping to avoid seeing the worry in Bofur's eyes. Several began to talk silently with one another about other concerns they had; some grumbled about lunch being ruined because of this debacle.

"Is she alright," Thorin surprised both as he approached Bofur and Eywn. Bofur looked up from Eywn to see their King kneeling down next to him. He instinctively held Eywn closer to him, as if unconsciously fearful that someone would pluck the woman from his grasp.

"She's all tuckered out; the dip in the river did a number on her…how's Master Kili?"

"He'll be just fine. Hit his head, but Oin does not believe it will be too serious," Thorin replied, looking down at Eywn's out of focus eyes. Her chattering lips and shivering form softened his heart. She had saved someone precious to him, two someones if he counted the helpful hand she offered Fili, which he did. Kili was in no condition to travel and clearly she wasn't either.

"We'll camp here for the rest of the day," Thorin called. Thankfully, most of the company had barely begun unpacking earlier and most of the ponies still had their gear. However, they were one supply pack short. Apparently, as Fili and Kili were actively trying to best each other in watering the horses, one of the ponies got spooked and nearly ran headlong into the river. Fili and Kili were able to subdue him, but not before the supplies were bucked off and Fili and Kili lost their balance. In the tumble, Kili had hit his head and had been unable to grab the rock like Fili had. Thorin had already reprimanded Fili for their childish behavior, but Kili was still too exhausted to even understand what he had done wrong. He decided Kili would better take the gravity of his words when not shivering and shuddering.

The dwarves all began to settle down and make camp and Thorin was about to return to Kili when Eywn's voice stopped him.

"Thorin!" she called, moving to sit up. Bofur let her, but kept wary hands on her shoulders. Thorin turned back and saw the urgency in her eyes. "There was a wolf, I don't know where it went but…"

"It'll be fine, Lady Eywn. We'll keep a watch tonight," he said, smiling reassuringly. Bofur moved as Thorin scooted over towards her. Bofur kept a light hold on Eywn's arm though, fearing she may collapse.

"Thank you," he began, "Thank you for my nephews," he pulled her into a tight hug. Eywn's eyes went wide as she was engulfed into Thorin's massive hold. It wasn't even five days previous that he challenged her honor and now she was being embraced like an old friend. Looking over to Bofur, she let him see the look of bewilderment take over the features of her face. The dwarf just chuckled, pulling out a long pipe.

"They would've done the same for me," Eywn replied, involuntarily pressing her forehead on Thorin's shoulder. Thorin held her at arm's length, looking for signs of injury.

"Do you require Oin's assistance," he asked, his voice steeling at the thought that she neglected to tell him of an injury she attained saving Kili. Before Eywn could respond, Oin was already walking over.

"Let's take a look at those wounds," he said, all but shoving Thorin out of the way. Eywn complied with all of his poking, prodding, and embittered muttering all while looking over to Bofur, who hadn't moved from his place next to her. He grinned cheekily as she was forced to readjust the blankets so Oin could get a better look at her stomach under the chemise. It was here he found yet another white scar, like the one Thorin gave her, but just above the waistband of her bloomers below the belly button. It traveled diagonally from her hip on her left side to below her skirt on the right. This one was wider, running deeper. Oin resisted the urge to trace the scar with his finger, knowing what such a scar would mean for her. Pity filled his heart, but he said nothing; instead he catalogued the old injury to inquire for another time. By the end, Oin declared her exhausted, but otherwise well. She just needed to rest before they continued on in the morning. The detour south from Kili and Eywn's impromptu swim in the river left them behind schedule and if they wanted Gandalf's guidance to the bridge, they would have to move quickly.

Eywn settled back against the tree once Oin was through with his checkup and rewrapped the blankets around her. Halfway through this though, she became aware of a cruel fact. Her clothes, skirt, boots, and tunic, were no longer on her. After she had cast them off, she left them at the edge of the river so she could follow after Kili. By propriety's standards, Eywn was naked in the company of male dwarves with only a few blankets to cover the indecency. She had stripped in front of them to follow after Kili. The dwarves had seen her undress; Bofur had _hugged_ her while she was in this state, as did Thorin.

Blushing profusely, Eywn brought the blankets closer around her body, trying to make herself a small as possible. Noticing her change in demeanor, Bofur met her gaze curiously. "Are you alright?" he asked, worried Oin had missed something.

"My clothes," she whispered, fearful to draw attention to her state of nakedness. The chemise and bloomers did little to cover what was underneath so she was thankful for the blankets. Bofur's eyes went wide and he did everything not to look down at her blanket-engulfed torso.

"I didn't see who grabbed them, lass…don't know if anyone did. We were frantic to follow Kili and yeh downstream…." Bofur looked over to the others, who were setting up camp.

"Oi, Bifur, did yeh grab Eywn's clothes?" he yelled across the camp. Eywn's face went beet red as the others turned their attention towards Bofur and Eywn. Bifur looked up from the greens he was gathering and shook his head. Eywn buried her head in the blanket, mortified as the others seemed to draw their attention to any other direction except to her. They too were privy to the fact that Eywn was currently in a compromising situation and unwilling to approach such awkwardness lightly.

"I have them," Ori's small voice piped up, "Saw no one went over to grab them so I did, sorry, I had forgotten about it" he mumbled, holding up a small bundle. He walked over to them, placing it next to her.

"Good lad," Bofur said, clapping him on the back. Eywn scrambled to unwrap the bundle. Pulling the cloak over to cover her front, she began to smooth out her tunic.

"Thank you, Ori," she said, looking up, "You have no idea how much I appreciate this," she pulled the tunic over her head and adjusted it so it fell down to her waist.

"I'm happy to help," he replied, moving back over to help Dori. Bofur looked away as she began adjusting the chemise underneath; noticing that she had begun to pull the fabric around her chest.

"We'll have to find ye some extra clothes, in case ye feel the need to save anyone else by undressing." Bofur called, still facing the opposite direction. He started when a boot hit his shoulder. Harrumphing, Eywn chose not to respond, anger seeming to radiate off of her.

"What? Would you rather walk around in yer nightie? Not that we'd mind in the slig…" The second boot made contact with him square in the back of the head.

"So much for the honor of the dwarven race," Eywn replied sarcastically as she finished adjusting her tunic. Although he couldn't see them, Bofur could picture her eyes blazing with anger and a smile formed on his lips.

"Oh aye, we are filled to the brim with honor, but we also like to appreciate beauty when it is before us." Bofur resisted the urge to turn, knowing that he would get something far worse thrown at him if he chose to look upon the image of beauty as she dressed.

"Appreciate all you want, but I'm not interested in seeing or hearing a word of it." Moving the blanket, she began to pull her skirt up over the skirting of her chemise. Trying to stand, her movements were heard by Bofur, who turned only to quickly jump to his feet and assist Eywn.

"Fair enough, my lady," he said, bowing his head politely as he held her steady. "Ye know I'm joking is all." Eywn nodded, trying to hold back a smile. She was grateful for his help as she adjusted the fastenings and pulled the tunic to fall over her skirt. He handed her the waiting belt and she reattached it, sword and pouches in all.

Sitting back down with Bofur's help, Eywn pulled her boots on over still damp leggings before settling back against the tree. Bofur returned the blanket to cover her, noticing her skin still had goose bumps. He settled next to her, wrapping her into his arms. She leaned into him, relieved that it was over. It seemed strange to Eywn that she spent a lot of time resting against the dwarf; it would've been unheard of for such familiarity between two people just barely past the stage of acquaintance; the fact that they were of opposite gender made it downright scandalous. However, she didn't care anymore; she was thankful for Bofur's warmth and comfort. What she didn't realize was that Bofur was equally thankful for the fact that she hadn't pushed him away. They watched as the others moved around the camp.

"I'm glad yer safe lass," he whispered as the afternoon wore on, "Ye continue to surprise us all at every turn."

"A habit I didn't intend on picking up, trust me," Eywn said, leaning her head onto his shoulder. Before she could stop herself, she smiled. It was not missed by Bofur or several of the other dwarves.

"Ye know, this is the first time I've seen ye smile in days," Bofur accused teasingly. Eywn smiled wider, blushing.

"I think it suits you far better than the sorrowful look you've given us as of late," Dori added, bringing her a bowl of warm soup.

"Thank you," she cradled the bowl, turning it in her hands, "I am sorry for my behavior. It doesn't reflect the gratitude I feel for you all." Several dwarves raised their bowls.

"We understand," Balin replied, "We understand far more than you realize." His gaze drifted briefly over to Thorin, who hadn't looked away from Kili for longer than a moment.

"I know," Eywn replied, looking over to where Balin's gaze had wandered.

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings ~ Eylanan

Next Chapter: Dwarf kabobs might be on the horizon. Let us hope daylight, and the will of a wizard, will be enough to stop this cruel fate.


	17. The Duty of Older Brothers

Chapter 17: The Duty of Older Brothers

The dwarves finally settled for camp at the end of one day near a demolished farm. The Company as a whole seemed far more cheerful than they had in previous days, seeing as it had been half a week since the last rainfall and the debacle in the river. Their spirits were high with the hopes that no other misfortune would befall them. Eywn too shared their sentiment of cheer. She found herself being accepted into the group of dwarves now that she had saved two their kin. Still riding with Ori, Eywn found herself sharing stories with the young dwarf. She learned much more about Ori's childhood than she probably would've liked, but it became a mutual sharing session as Eywn told stories about her and her older brother Ronin. They found that Nori's behavior in Ori's stories mirrored Ronin's in Eywn's stories. However, there was one major difference between Nori and Ronin that Eywn picked up on: whilst Ronin was always present in Eywn's life up until several years ago, Nori was notoriously absent from Ori's childhood, save for short bursts when the middle brother would return and then abruptly leave. That did not seem to bother Ori in the slightest; in fact, he was proud to tell stories of his older brother, as if those short bursts were the greatest blessings Ori had ever received. Nori, who kept a close range on Ori during their ride, often rode on ahead when Ori began to tell stories of his presence in Ori's childhood. Eywn could see there was a degree of shame in his stature as he rode ahead and refused to look Dori in the eye when questioned by the eldest brother. Nori had kept his distance during this day of riding and seemed to continue to do so as they began to settle for the evening.

Ori let her dismount first, holding her arm to steady her. She helped him down next and the two began unpacking. They heard the not so silent arguments between Gandalf and Thorin. Ori buried his head in the saddle bags as the argument grew heated. Eywn saw him sneak a glance at Nori and Dori, but tried to hide it. Handing her a few of the bags, Ori's composure was rumpled to say the least, but he managed a smile. He was about to speak before Gandalf's fuming voice pierced the air.

"Myself, Mr. Baggins!" Gandalf shouted, his disdain evident, "I've had quite enough of dwarves for one day."

Eywn moved to follow him, but Ori gently grabbed her arm. Eywn was dismayed as Gandalf disappeared into the forest, but she knew there was no stopping a wizard. He was as stubborn as the dwarves.

"Come on Bombur, we're hungry," Thorin grumbled behind her. Eywn turned, her eyes narrow. She wanted to say something against his behavior towards Gandalf, but no words came. Thorin saw her anger and also chose to ignore it. It was none of her business after all.

She went over to where Bofur and Bombur were getting the cooking supplies unpacked. They were some of the few un-phased by Gandalf's departure, cheerfully humming as they planned the evening's meal. Bombur was fumbling with a tie on the huge cooking pot and Eywn ran to the other side of the pony to help him.

"Quite the charmer, Thorin is," she mused as the rope loosened.

"Ah, he's just a bit bitter after a long day's ride," Bofur replied, "some supper'll do us all some good."

"There, I wholeheartedly agree with you," Eywn replied, patting her stomach. She helped Bombur heave the heavy pot over to where Gloin and Oin were making a fire. Bofur came up right behind them with the pot's hanging apparatus.

"Need firewood, Gloin?" Eywn asked, as she set the pot down. Gloin nodded eagerly.

"That would be most appreciated, lass. Take some of the lads with you to get firewood; we'll need plenty to keep it roaring through the night."

"I'll go," Nori called from across the way where he, Ori and Dori were unpacking the food supplies. Bilbo was helping Balin lead his pony to the small pen where Fili and Kili were brushing them down, but nodded to the old dwarf before running to volunteer as well.

"I can help too," he added. Eywn smiled, gesturing for the two to follow her. Bilbo ran up to walk beside her while Nori kept a healthy distance behind them. They didn't venture far into the woods, but Bilbo ran further, looking for smaller kindling for the fire. They could hear him mutter something about Gandalf and being left with the dwarves, but they let him be. Nori took his place almost immediately at Eywn's side. Neither talked as they knelt in the underbrush to find broken branches; Eywn didn't mind the silence, but a quick glance over to Nori told her that he was troubled. Not interested in pursuing whatever was bothering the dwarf, Eywn focused her attention on the task at hand.

"What happened to your brother?" Nori's soft voice pierced the silence around the forest. Bilbo's could still be seen, but he didn't hear Nori's question as clearly as Eywn had. Dumping a few branches into the pile they were forming between them, Eywn sat up on her knees to stare at his back. He hadn't stopped working, but he was much slower at it than he had been.

"Why does it matter?" Eywn replied. None of the dwarves had asked her about what happened to her family. They recognized it was a raw wound to bother and Ori's questions had cleverly sidestepped those conversations, but Nori seemed to dump a pile of salt right into the thick of it.

He turned to meet her gaze. "You have been a good companion to Ori. He likes talking with you." Nori seemed to be unable to find the words to add to it.

"Do his stories about you bother you?" Eywn asked, fearful that she had somehow offended the quiet dwarf. Nori stopped working to look at her.

"What bothers me doesn't matter."

"Then why are you asking about my brother?" Nori looked down for a brief moment before returning his gaze to meet hers.

"You talk about him fondly, as Ori does about me. I am simply curious."

"He died." Eywn answered shortly, returning to her work. Tears pierced the corners of her eyes. She wasn't hiding that this conversation bothered her, but Nori wasn't satisfied with her answer.

"But there's more to it than that, I can tell. How did he die?"

"Why does that matter to you?" Eywn felt her voice grow tense as she repeated her previous question.

"Because Ori matters to me and I want to know." Nori answered. His voice was not unkind, but there was a bite to it.

"From his stories, I can see he clearly matters to you; that is, when you bothered to be there" Eywn replied sarcastically. She turned when she heard a low growl from Nori. His eyebrows were furrowed, his lip a thin line of clear anger. She felt a twinge of guilt at the hurt in his eyes, but she did not change her stern expression.

"I did what I had to and that is none of your business." Nori replied angrily.

"And how my brother died is none of yours." Eywn answered, standing to move away. She knew she had crossed a line with her previous comment, but she would not play this game with him. Not now. Not when she finally felt like she was finding a place amongst the dwarves, the vestiges of her old life slowly withering away with each passing day. Taking the kindling, she was headed back the way they had come minutes earlier.

"I have to know." The only reason Eywn stopped was because of the almost pleading nature of Nori's tone. Turning, she saw Nori looking at her. It was as if he knew Eywn's answer, for sympathy took the place of anger. However, Eywn's anger had only just begun to flare.

"He died saving me. I would be dead if it weren't for him." Her voice was calm, but the dwarf could see she was fuming behind those words. For all his talents of trickery and smooth talking, he couldn't conjure up the appropriate words, giving Eywn the chance to continue. "Does that answer your question? Is that what you wanted to hear? How the brave older brother saved the helpless younger sister? How the older brother took the younger sister's place in death?" Nori answered none of these questions, only staring as Eywn's eyes burned with unshed tears. She gathered their collected firewood, standing to leave the forest.

"Bilbo!" she called behind her, "I'm heading back to camp. Help Nori with the rest," she added, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Nori called. Eywn didn't want to stop, but she did. "Forgive me." She turned to see him standing now also.

"My past is nothing the ears of a lady should bear to hear, but do not doubt my love for Ori. I fear for him every day we are on this quest. I don't show it near much as Dori does. Mahal's sake my brother's a worry wart for the lot of us. Why I wanted to know…I suppose I wanted to know because I wanted to assure myself I'm doing the right thing. To be there should Ori need me to do what your brother did for you."

Eywn said nothing in return. She stared at the dwarf, wondering why he chose her to say this to. Clutching the firewood closer to her, she looked at the forest floor.

"Suppose I might've been wrong," Nori murmured as if to himself. "Go on lass. I'll bring the Halfling back with me." She could hear him turn back towards where the hobbit was still gathering kindling.

"No," Eywn said softly. Still looking down, she knew he had heard her. "No, you weren't wrong."

Turning, she left for real this time. The dwarf watched her head back towards the campsite. Nori sighed, wondering if he had done the right thing in confiding in the lass. She had kept her family's death to herself thus far and none of the dwarves were interested in provoking those hurts. However, Nori uncovered an important truth about her past in that short exchange: Eywn's self-guilt was ingrained far deeper than the dwarves were aware. He didn't know what she had gone through, but it was traumatizing enough to where she still blamed herself. However, as an older brother, Nori could understand a piece of the puzzle that Eywn refused to acknowledge: her brother willingly sacrificed himself. Nori knew he would do anything to protect Ori like Eywn's brother in those stories.

Bilbo rushed up to where Nori was still standing, panting and heaving a heavy load of branches. He began to stutter something about where Eywn had gone and the dwarf's fists clenched. Embittered by the hobbit's intrusion into his musings, Nori glared at him. He grabbed some of the branches in Bilbo's arms to lighten the load. The hobbit sputtered at the dwarf's gaze, backing away at the iron in Nori's eyes.

"Get going, Halfling." Nori said shortly before kneeling to gather the last bits of firewood that Eywn hadn't collected. The hobbit scurried off as Nori said, looking back to see the dwarf's shoulders shaking slightly.

Bilbo Baggins wasn't quick to jealousy. He took his lot and let others take theirs. As they traveled across the river and further east, the hobbit ignored the looks of frustration that the dwarves never bothered to mask. Nori's just now was one in a long line of dwarvish glares. They laughed at his need for pocket handkerchiefs, privacy while relieving himself, and attempting to maintain a hygiene routine. He knew that Thorin certainly didn't care for his hobbit mannerisms; it seemed all but impossible for Thorin to show care for anyone and Bilbo wouldn't argue against that. The dwarf king was as expressive as a stone wall. Seeing Eywn be embraced by Thorin several days earlier felt so out of character from what the hobbit had already seen that he wondered if it had pained Thorin to openly express his feelings of gratitude. Had he only done it for the benefit of comforting a weary woman? None of the others received such treatment; Fili and Kili were the exceptions since they were the ones who had fallen into the river.

How did she attract such attention? It wasn't necessarily the attention that Bilbo craved, but rather the acknowledgment that he was someone of value. Thus far, Bilbo had done nothing nearly as daring as Eywn had; jumping into a raging river was the last thing on the gentle hobbit's mind. It seemed downright scandalous of her to do so. Was she not surrounded by a group of male dwarves who could've rescued Fili and Kili in her place? She wasn't even officially a member of the Company. Why take matters that didn't concern her into her own hands? The way Thorin had looked at Eywn when they saw her crouched against the tree, shivering and shaking from the shock of it all; the gratitude, the relief, the respect.

The others liked her well enough, looking downright pleased that she no longer stared off into space during their daily ride. Ori was happy to talk with her during that time; Bofur and his family welcomed her wholeheartedly into their work; even Gloin and Oin were happy to have her alongside them. He didn't even want to think about Fili and Kili's treatment of her, for those two were as flirtatious as a Took lass who fancied a Bracegirdle lad. This was even before she saved them both. He had seen Eywn and Nori conversing as they gathered firewood; he didn't bother to listen out of his own frustration for being ignored by almost all save for Balin, Gandalf, and Bofur. He didn't think Nori had any interest in talking with those beyond his brothers, but apparently, that's where the hobbit was incorrect.

A small part of Bilbo's mind grew dark at the thought of still being treated as luggage. Everything he did to assist the dwarves went unnoticed. Helping Bofur and Bombur with meals, gathering firewood, taking late night watches, none of those things earned him more than a grunt of acknowledgement. Perhaps that was the path to earning the respect of the dwarves: bold and foolish deeds. Only Dwalin still seemed unconvinced of keeping Eywn on their journey and Bilbo was right there with him. She had no place out in the wilderness amongst a horde of male dwarves. Yet, there she was, living as they did, adapting to unseemly changes that would've sent the hobbit packing long ago had he not signed a contract. It didn't make her better than he because she was so quick to adapt; Bilbo was quite pleased with maintaining some semblance of manners and dignity out in the wild. The dwarves would just have to see the honor in that. Bilbo hoped it would be sooner rather than later that they did.

Next will be the dwarvish kabob chapter. Dori Nori and Ori's relationship has always fascinated me and from the development that the actors gave these characters, I wanted to explore it further. Also, poor Bilbo still has a long way to go. I fought with his bit in this chapter because I didn't want him to adopt a petulant child tone, but he has some valid points. We get to see a lot more of him in the next chapter!

Thank you for reading! Many Blessings~ Eylanan


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